It's Kharl's Fault!
by Terasa
Summary: The final war has begun and it's up to our heroes to save the day, but will Andi manage to destroy the Ring or will it destroy her first? Ashley quickly discovers she has no head for politics when she arrives in Gondor, and Kharl will have to fight harder than ever to ensure those he cares about live to tell the tale of the One Ring. Secretly-A-Fangirl helped Haldir/OC Aragorn/OC
1. Setting off

ANDREA

I stare up at the cave ceiling, one hand lightly holding the Ring as sleep evades me. It's been doing that more often here lately and I find myself stumbling along after Sméagol and Sammy like a zombie most days, wasting away due to having no appetite. My mum would smack me bald and then lecture me if she could see me now, demanding to know why I would engage in such a reckless stupid mission in the first place. Sméagol announces his presence with a hiss, peering at Sam and me from the cave's entrance.

"Wake up, wake up! Wake up, Sleepies," he shouts. "We must go, yes, we must go at once!" I slump back against a wall, hiding the Ring under my shirt.

"Haven't you had any sleep, Andi," Sam asks as he sits up. I shake my head, wishing for the third time this week that it wasn't true. "I've gone and had too much! It must be getting late." It looks like it's around twilight outside, but I know that it is actually early morning, maybe around six or six-thirty.

"It's just dark outside," I mumble to him," it's always dark these days." I nearly stumble when I try to stand up due to a small earthquake, the ground shaking and rolling under my feet.

"Come on, must go, no time," Sméagol rambles, looking anxious.

"Not before Andi's eaten something," Sam protests, glaring at Sméagol as he rummages through his pack for Lembas bread. "Here." He holds the bread out for me to take, but the sight of it alone makes my stomach twist. "Andi, you have to eat."

"You eat it, I can't right now."

"We don't have that much left. We have to be careful or we're going to run out. You go ahead and at least take a nibble of it. I've got it all rationed. There should be enough."

"For what? A Lembas bread cake?"

"The journey home," Sam answers in such an innocent tone that it makes my heart clench.

"Come, Hobbitses," Sméagol urges impatiently in the doorway. "Very close now, very close to Mordor! No safe places here. Hurry, shh." Sam and I stumble along after Sméagol, my feet bruised and sore, my lips cracked and bleeding, and my will to hang on just barely intact.


	2. Friends Reunited

ASHLEY

I walk into the room Haldir's in, intending to tell him that we're almost ready to ride out for Isengard, only to freeze in the doorway at the sight of him topless. His muscles were defined sharply, pale skin stretched over them with only a few scars here and there to mar its perfection. When he turns around and finds me staring he quickly starts looking around for something to cover his bare chest from my view. I lean against the door jamb, giving the elf my best seductive look. "Well hello there."

"If we do what that look suggests you want to do, your Adar will have my head," he smiles, pulling his shirt on with a slight wince," and I am quite fond of my head, a beautiful young Dúnadan told me once that it was pretty." He sends me a meaningful smile at that and I send one back, remembering our first meeting fondly. "Now, why is it you decided to come and visit when, for the past two days, you have avoided me?"

"Um, right," I shake away the thoughts of his bare chest enough to concentrate on the task at hand. "Adar told me to round up the stragglers. We're leaving this place in a couple of minutes." He gives me a look, raising a brow in amusement as my eyes continue to stray down to his now covered chest. Too bad, he looked really good topless, I could deal with a topless Haldir more often to get my blood pumping. "I love your body," I sigh, walking further in the room and wrapping my arms loosely around his neck. "And I love you even though you can be a stubborn ass sometimes."

"Mm, I feel the same way." Haldir's arms wrap around my waist and pull me against him, his lips moving against mine in a gentle kiss. "I'm afraid, though that your father will come looking for us if we take up much more time." Laughing, I lace our fingers together and lead him to the main hall where everyone who's accompanying us has met up.

On horseback, I follow Gandy, Adar, Leggy, Théoden, and Gimli through Fangorn forest, the trees moving out of our way to clear a path. Haldir sits behind me in the saddle, arms wrapped loosely around my waist as I urge Thalion on past the unnerving trees. Ahead are the ruins of Isengard, our current destination. The tall wall that once surrounded it and served as protection is now splintered and broken, three people I thought I'd never see again sitting on one part of it. "Welcome, my Lords and Lady, to Isengard," Merry smiles with an over exaggerated bow. Merry, Pippin, and Kharl are eating, smoking, and drinking to their hearts contents, hardly a mark to be shown while I was covered in bruises and scrapes after the battle.

"You young rascals," Gimli snarls. "A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you feasting and smoking!"

"We are sitting on a field of victory," Pippin tells us around a mouth full of food," enjoying a few well-earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good." Kharl holds up a jar filled with something green with a grin and an eyebrow waggle.

"Is that what I think that is," I ask hopefully," pickles?"

"I don't know," Kharl shrugs with a mischievous smirk," sure smells like pickles." I never moved quicker than I did in that moment, making a mad dash up the wall, ripping the large jar out of Kharl's hands and popping the top, taking a big whiff. "I'm gonna say it _is_ pickles by the look on your face."

"I won't starve," I exclaim with happiness, grabbing a pickle out of the jar and taking a huge bite out of it, relishing the sour taste that I've been missing for so long. Gandy rolls his eyes, muttering under his breath something that sounded like _that woman and her food_. I would never decline the sour pickles; bread and butter or sweet on the other hand, I would decline in a heartbeat. Those fuckers are nastier than the hookers in Oklahoma during the summer.

"We're under orders from Treebeard," Merry informs us," who's taken over management of Isengard." Haldir leans forward, plucking me off the wall, pickles and all, and places me back in the saddle. The two Hobbits and Kharl hitch a ride with some of the others as Gandy leads the way through the bits and pieces of destruction that are floating in the water. I tense instinctively and lean back closer to Haldir as a giant tree strides over to us.

"Young Master Gandalf, I'm glad you've come," it greets in a slow voice that sounds a bit like a tree does when it's about to fall. The tree's voice is slow, the words stretched out and seeming to be hummed more than anything. "Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a Wizard to be managed here... Locked in his tower." I could see Adar whispering something, but I wasn't close enough to make it out.

"Be careful," Gandy warns with a look in Aragorn's direction. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."

"Why can't we just have his head and be done with it," Gimli questions and I nod along with him. If we could just get the old fart out on his balcony, then I could lower him down here without any muss or fuss.

"No, we need him alive. We need him to talk." _Well I need some caffeine that isn't coffee, but I doubt I'll ever get that again._" From above, a deep voice floats down to us and I know without looking that it's Saruman. Who but the villain could sound so cool yet like such a douche at the same time?

"You have fought many wars and slain many men, Théoden King," Saruman practically sneers," and made peace afterwards." We all glance up at Saruman, Haldir's arms tightening their hold around my waist as the old man glares down at us. He looked similar to Gandalf, but I supposed that was because they both held the position of White Wizard or some shit. "Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can there not be peace between us?" _Can I shove my pretty elvish boot up your ass?_

"We shall have peace," Théoden nods grimly. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers, whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg, are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows we shall have peace." I had a new respect for the guy after that speech, understanding his rage to a degree since Haldir had nearly been among the dead buried this morning.

"And what business do you have here, Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess, the Key of Orthanc or perhaps the Keys of Barad-dûr itself, along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the Five Wizards?" Saruman was basically screaming everything he said, like a toddler who was told no for the first time.

"Your treachery has already cost many lives," Gandy states," and thousands more are now at risk, but you could help save them."

"That's it, then? You've come seeking information? I have some for you." He brings something large and black out of his robes, looking from this far down like a child's bowling ball. _Is he gonna chunk it at us and hope for a strike?_ "Something festers in the heart of Middle-earth, something that you have failed to see, but the Great Eye has seen it." The bowling ball is lowered as Saruman stares down at us again. "Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon. You're all going to die."

Whether it was from years of instinct or just wanting to smite him, I raise my chin in defiance and stare at him without fear. "I've got some news for you," I call up to Saruman. "Your buddy with the all-seeing Eye is about two sandwiches short of a picnic and I'm pretty confident that one sharp jab with a stick will bring that fucker down as easily as it would you. Why don't you just bring your ass down here and talk like a civilized person?"

"Quiet, Larien," he growls," I've no need to come down there just to smite you!" I hold my arms out, chest bared to him.

"Come at me, bitch!"

"Ashley Nicole," Kharl snarls from behind me," you shut your goddamn mouth this instant, or so help me, I'll superglue it shut myself!"

"Oh, like you weren't thinking it." I look at him over Haldir's shoulder, taking in his scowl and the pride glowing in his eyes that he wouldn't admit to quite yet. Kharl rolls his eyes, choosing to just bring a small tube of superglue out of his pack and hold it up for me to see. "Fine, but only because I know you'll do it." He'd done it to his old boss before, snuck into the guy's house in the middle of the night and just superglued the poor man's lips together.

"As my companion has stated," Gandalf says, waving a hand in our direction in a _shut up _gesture," come down and you will be spared." _I don't think I ever said he'd be spared, in fact, I'm pretty sure I said I'd fight him_.

"Save your pity and mercy," Saruman snaps, sending a fiery ball of magic straight at Gandalf, who had trotted a few feet in front of our group. The flames wrapped around Gandy, making the horses shy away, but the flames cleared in less than a second to reveal an untouched Gandalf. _That would have been useful in Moria_.

"Saruman, your staff is broken." Directly after the words were spoken, the staff in Saruman's hand exploded into pieces of metal, falling down into the water that covered his lands. I was pretty sure the water would reach about mid-thigh on me since it covered more than half of Thalion's legs. I continue to watch the tower as another man joins Saruman, the pale face peeking out from the dark colors surrounding him belonging to Grima.

"Grima," Théoden calls gently," you need not follow him. You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan." _He was also an angry murder doll, but I suppose that's irrelevant_. "Come down."

"A man of Rohan," Saruman questions mockingly. "What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll of the floor with the dogs?" _I'd prefer dogs to this guy's company_. "The victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you, Théoden Horse-master."

"Who the fuck does it belong to, then," Kharl yells, having been filled in on the big things," because it sure as shit doesn't belong to you! My sister and her…" He trails off, gesturing at Haldir. "…And that guy saw your army high-tailing it into the woods where they even got their asses handed to them by the trees, so why don't you just—"

"Kharl," Théoden says without looking back," please do us all the enormous favor of shutting your mouth." I smile back at Kharl, enjoying the way he immediately began to pout. "Grima," Théoden says again," come down and be free of him."

"Free," Saruman interjects again. "He will never be free!" Ol' Wormtongue must have said something to provoke Saruman because the next thing I know, Saruman slapped Grima across the face and sent him to the floor of the tower.

"You were deep in the enemy's counsel," Gandalf continues from his earlier conversation, drawing Saruman's attention away from Grima. "Tell us what you know!"

"You withdraw your men, and I will tell you where your doom will be decided. I will not be held prisoner here." I could make out Grima getting back to his feet and see the gleam of sunlight on metal, but it wasn't until it was stuck in Saruman's back that I realized Grima held a knife. _He just shanked a bitch like it was nothing!_ Legolas fires a shot and his arrow buries itself in Grima's side, knocking him to the floor once more as Saruman begins a freefall from the tower.

I flinch back as Saruman's body hits the metal water wheel poking out of the flooded land, one of the spikes going right through his body to ensure death. I could feel Haldir tensing behind me, and then his arms were pulling me back against his chest and his cheek rested against the crown of my head.

"Send word to all our allies and to every corner of Middle-earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us and we must know where he plans to strike." With a horrible groaning sound, the wheel begins to turn, sending something dark in Saruman's robes splashing into the water before Saruman himself is submerged.

"The filth of Saruman is washing away," Treebeard assures us," trees will come back to live here, young trees... Wild trees." Pippin, ever the curios Hobbit, leaps from Adar's horse and makes his way towards something that glows in the water, Adar calling after him and drawing everyone's attention to what Pip was doing. Not looking back, Pip brings the weird black thing out of the murky water, the thing looking less like a bowling ball not that I could see it better. There was something about it, an evil that clung to it, that made me shy away even more. "Well bless my bark!"

"Peregrin Took, I'll take that, my lad." Gandalf's voice is urgent, as though the orb were something dangerous and important. Pippin stays as he is, staring down at the orb in total absorption. "Quickly now!" Reluctantly, Pip holds up the orb for Gandalf, the Wizard quickly covering it up with his pristine white cloak.

***~LATER THAT NIGHT—EDORAS~***

"Tonight," Théoden announces," we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!" The crowd of people echoes him, raising their goblets filled to the brim with ale and beer. I sit at one of the tables with Haldir and Kharl on either side of me, laughing as Kharl retells the time when he and I got drunk together for the first time and tried to convince the town's Chief of Police that we were totally sober. "And he tells us to walk in a straight line," Kharl was saying, pausing a moment to take another drink," but, I mean, she can barely walk in a straight line when she hasn't been drinking!"

"Yeah," I nod along with him," so I leaned in close, big mistake since I reeked of Jack Daniels, and I told the cop that I could do a cartwheel better than I could walk in a straight line." Haldir grins, nodding along with my story. "So he told me to go ahead and do a cartwheel, then."

"And what does my lovely sister do? She lies down in the middle of the street and starts rolling around, too drunk to remember what a cartwheel actually was! It seemed funny even as we were put in a drunk tank, but the moment Ash's dad walked in to pick us up the next morning, we knew we were completely fucked." I nod solemnly, wincing at the memory of that horrid ride home. "Not only did we have to suffer through the day with hangovers, but he yelled at us the entire way to my mom's house and then the both of us were forced to work in the gardens until we were sick and our moms decided to take pity on us by spraying us with the watering hose."

"That was the last time we got drunk without a sober person to stop us from doing stupid things."

"Shall I switch to water then," Haldir jokes. "I don't need the two of you trying to dance on tables while drunk."

"Hell, that's minor league stuff compared to the other things we've done."

"I think the worst thing we've ever done is try and smuggle a penguin out of the zoo," Kharl remarks with another laugh. "We'd named him Snuffles, but a guard caught us before we made the gates."

"We've been banned ever since, which makes it a bit difficult to go to his son's field trips." I take another gulp of my drink, wishing for the second time that we had something a bit stronger. After I started drinking in college, I quickly developed a taste for something stronger than beer. A crash from behind us makes all of us turn to see what happened, Kharl and I laughing loudly when we spot Gimli passed out on the floor.

"I've never been that drunk yet." Kharl points at the dwarf with a lopsided grin, bringing his tankard back up to his mouth.

"Not that you remember, anyway!"


	3. Sneaky Sméagol Versus Samwise the Brave

ANDREA

_Laughing as Kharl and his latest girlfriend walk away, I nudge Ashley with my shoulder to get her attention. "So what are you planning to do this summer?" She shrugs, her finger tracing the rim of her Styrofoam cup absently, a distant look in her eyes that meant she was overthinking something; probably her job interview next Wednesday for a teaching position. "Earth to Ashley," I say loudly, waving a hand in front of her face._

"_Huh, what," she asks, looking around wildly for a moment. Her eyes return to their normal size when she realizes that everything's fine. "Um, I guess I'll read for the most part and help Rose with the baby Kharl's too much of an idjit to claim." I take a drink of my coffee, looking around at the small shops that line the main part of Stillwater. "What about you?"_

"_I'll probably spend some time in California with my aunt before I come back to Oklahoma and start my position as an upholder of justice."_

"_You're a cop, not Batman."_

I jolt awake at Sméagol's cries for help, surprised to spot Sammy straddling the creature's stomach and choking the life out of him. I let it go on until I see Sméagol's face turning violet, then I get up and haul the Hobbit off Sméagol. Sméagol curls into a protective ball behind me, whimpering. "I heard it from his own mouth," Sam fumes. "He means to murder us!"

"Never," Sméagol yells in a whiny tone," Sméagol wouldn't hurt a fly! He's a horrid, fat Hobbit who hates Sméagol and who makes up nasty lies!" I intercept Sam as he goes for Sméagol again.

"You miserable little maggot! I'll stove your head in! Call me a liar? You're a liar!"

"Enough," I scream," Get used to him being here because if he leaves, then we'll be lost again and never make it to Mordor!"

"I don't care! I can't do this anymore and I certainly won't wait around for him to kill us!"

"Too bad, he's staying." Sam gives me a wounded look, taking half a step back. "You know that, if not for Sméagol, we wouldn't have made it this far. I hate to say it, but we need him…. And I need you." Sam's face softens into one of understanding. "Stay by me a while longer, help me finish this, and then we'll never have to see that _thing_ again." I pause, staring into his eyes and holding him in one place until I feel him relax. "Are you with me, Sammy?"

"I'll be with you as long as you'll have me, Andi." I allow my gaze to shift over to Gollum, pinning him in place with a glare. I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him and I knew Sam must be telling the truth or he wouldn't have snapped like that. Until that Ring was destroyed, Sméagol was a necessary evil, but afterwards I would kill him myself. Nobody's going to hurt my Sam. I turn my eyes back to the Hobbit, releasing the hold I had on him and brushing the dirt off his cloak.

"I know, but you have to trust me." He nods, looking down at the rocky, uneven ground. "My most trusted companion," I smile," my Samwise the Brave."


	4. The Great Eye of Doom

ASHLEY

"_You're a cop, not Batman," I laugh, Andi rolling her eyes with a smile. "Anyways, I bet you won't last a week until you Taser someone just 'cause you feel like it."_

"_I'll last more than a week," she scoffs, setting down the Styrofoam cup of hot coffee, the complete opposite of my strawberry shake. It's funny how different Andi, Kharl, and I are to be so close. She loves horses, dragons, and The Hunger Games; he loves easy women, Twilight, and cheap take out; I love Cocker Spaniels, fantasy, and Harry Potter. So many things to compare and contrast between the three of us, but the thing that keeps us all together is a friendship that was forged back in Pre-K. The funniest thing about our meeting was that Andrea and I were fighting within seconds and Kharl had cheered me on until the three of us were sent to the principal's office._

"Pippin," Merry shouts, making me jerk awake with a gasp. Pippin holds the palantír tightly in his hands, sinking to his knees and then to his back. "Help, somebody help him!" Just as I get to my feet to run to the little Hobbit, Adar rushes into the room and wrenches the palantír from Pippin, spinning backwards as though someone had socked him in the jaw and dropping the orb. It rolls across the floor stopping at my feet. Despite the absolute horror I felt about it, I slowly reach down to touch it, my fingers barely brushing the surface when Haldir tackles me to the ground.

My back arches as agony rushes through me, the fingers that touched the palantír feeling as though they were on fire. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing can come out except a breathless sound as the air whooshes out of my lungs. I'm left lying on the ground, paralyzed for a moment as the Eye comes into my vision, demanding answers I didn't have about Andi and Sam. Finally, I'm freed from its hold, sobbing in Haldir's arms.

"It's alright," he whispers to me," I have you, Mel." I grip the front of his tunic in my hands so tightly that my knuckles went white.

"I saw it," I sob," it's looking for Andi. It—it wants her dead!" Shaking, I look over my shoulder to see how Adar and Pippin were fairing; Pip is being helped to sit up by Gandy while Adar is being supported by Legolas. "He's going to kill us all if we're not quick and he'll be all the happier for it." I move as close as possible to Haldir, squeezing my eyes closed as I fight to control my breathing. Kharl's passed out who knows where with my asthma pills, so there'll be no time to look for him if I go into a full on attack.

"Ashley," Gandalf asks softly, kneeling next to me. "What is it you saw?"

"Death," I whisper, the loudest I could get," destruction, the usual bad guy plot, but so much worse. He'd use Andi until she was twisted beyond any reckoning and all who were close to her were the same way. Except you, Adar, and myself—we would be tortured; you for being the White Wizard, Adar and me for being the heirs of the man who took his Ring in the first place. Everything will burn under his eyes…. Everything will fall." My stomach flips even as I speak, images of the burning Eye flashing across my eyes once more. I scramble to my feet and over to the window, retching until my stomach is empty, then collapsing to the floor and drawing my knees up to my chest. "We have to do something."

After managing to calm myself down and making sure Pip and Adar were fine, we all gather in the main hall for a meeting, Théoden listening intently to Gandalf as he explains everything the best he can.

"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes," Gandy says quietly," a fool, but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Andrea and the Ring, nor did Larien. She, of course, told him a few choice words that are not meant to pass a lady's lips." I give him a tiny smile, resting my head on Haldir's shoulder as I regained my strength and fought off my hangover. "We've been strangely fortunate. What Pippin saw in the palantír was a glimpse of our enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing." At that, Gandy looks from Adar to me. "The heir of Elendil has come forth with an heir of his own. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still, strength in them left to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle-earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees the return of the King." Gandy's gaze moves on to Théoden, giving the man a stern look. "If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."

"Tell me," Théoden asks. "Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?"

"I'm sorry," I interrupt, wincing when my head throbs from the noise," are you suddenly four years old again? If Gondor falls, then you can bet your sweet ass that he will strike at you next, and you'll have no help this time. Most of the Elves have gone to Valinor, so you'll be completely alone to watch as your people are slaughtered." Théoden's eyes drop to the ground and then rise to Aragorn when my Adar speaks.

"I will go," Aragorn says when he catches Théoden's gaze.

"No," Gandy snaps.

"They must be warned!"

"They will be." Then in a lower voice to Aragorn," You must come to Minas Tirith by another road. Follow the river, look to the black ships." He speaks in a louder voice now, for everyone to hear. "Understand this: Things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I will ride for Minas Tirith and I won't be going alone." Pippin and I share surprised looks when Gandalf's eyes land on us.

* * *

Pippin, Merry, Haldir, and I run through the streets after Gandalf, my stomach churning in the heat and from the motions. "Of all the inquisitive Hobbits, Peregrin Took, you are the worst," Gandy huffs," Hurry, hurry!" I glare at the back of his head. _What an asshole_. If not for Pippin, we wouldn't even know a sliver of Sauron's plans! By the path Gandy is taking, I'd say we're headed for the stables and that means I'll have to ride Thalion while fighting a hangover. Sure, I love the horse, but I don't know how well I'll handle all the damn bouncing that's gonna happen.

"I'm scared," I whisper to Haldir. "How will I be able to help Gandy? After all, if the Steward will go ape shit at seeing Adar, what will he do when he figures out who I am?"

"Nothing is going to happen," Haldir promises, tightening his grip on my hand slightly for reassurance. "I'll not let that filthy man harm a hair on your head."

"Good for that hair, but what about the rest of me?" He chuckles at that, though I can't figure out why because I was being completely serious. "I'm not joking, from what I've heard, that guy's completely off his rocker. He's cracked!" Gandy throws a stern _shut your mouth_ look at me over his shoulder, and I take the hint to lower my voice. "Plus he's Boromir's father, he'll blame the Fellowship for his kid's death and, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm part of the frigging Fellowship." We've reached the stables by now and Haldir leads me over to Thalion's stall, bringing the horse out and saddling it.

"As I said before, I'll not let any harm come to you." He puts his hands on my hips and raises me up onto the saddle before climbing on behind me and taking the reins in his hands. "Just relax, I don't need you having one of your attacks considering you are low on your medicine." He maneuvers Thalion next to Shadowfax, ready to match the other horse's speed and keep up with Gandalf and Pippin. "I've got you now and I always will."

"Merry," Pippin shouts in a pleading voice as our horses thunder out of the stables at full speed. We ride through the night, Haldir and I taking shifts on controlling Thalion while the other slept for a few hours. I felt a little sorry for Gandalf since he couldn't hand the reigns over to Pip for rest because Pippin wasn't big enough to handle such a large horse. By mid-morning the next day we stop in a small village for rest. We found a kind family to stay with for a few hours, eating and sleeping until we felt we wouldn't pass out in the saddle.

Altogether, it took us about three days to reach our destination, riding into the White City around mid-morning. It's much larger than I thought it was and made of white stone, the place beautiful despite the darkness at its doorstep. "Minas Tirith," Gandalf announces," City of the Kings." The streets of the city are steep and winding, crowded with people who stood off to the side as we galloped past. We dismount in a courtyard on the topmost level, outside the entrance of the Citadel. A dead tree is guarded in the center of the stone and grass courtyard—pale white with no leaves to brighten it up.

"It's the tree," Pippin whispers, catching up to us.

"Yes, the White Tree of Gondor. The tree of the king. Lord Denethor, however, is not the king. He is a Steward only, a caretaker of the throne." As we get closer to the entrance Gandy lowers his voice. "Lord Denethor is Boromir's father. To give him news of his beloved son's death would be most unwise." Haldir takes my hand in his, noticing the way my breath had caught in my throat. "And do not mention Andrea…. Or the Ring…. And do not say anything of Aragorn nor Ashley's parentage." He stops, looking down at Pippin uncertainly. "In fact, it's better if you do not speak at all, Peregrin Took."

"What about me," I ask, looking uncertainly towards the double doors at the top of the stairs. Gandalf looked as worried as I did, quickly looking me over to be sure I bore no mark of being a princess. I worse a simple green and silver tunic, black breeches, my boots, and a thick cloak that Éomer had gifted me with before I'd departed. My dagger was hidden in my boot still, my auburn hair framed my face, and the necklace Galadriel had given me was tucked beneath my tunic. There was nothing about me that spoke of royal blood and I hoped Denethor believed it.

"You should be fine, but don't speak unless you absolutely have to. Maybe he will think you are Haldir's wife." The hall we enter is made mostly of white marble with black accents, the ceiling above our heads domed with gold and green patterns painted on it that made the place even brighter. Between the pillars were white pedestals that supported statues of previous rulers, but there were hardly any decorations about the room. Haldir, Pip, and I follow Gandalf as he strides confidently down the hall towards a tall dais with many steps that lead up to a large throne. In a chair at the bottom of the dais sits an older man with long, greasy, and graying hair that reached his shoulders. He was wrapped in heavy black robes, the color of mourning in this land. "Hail Denethor, son of Ecthelion, lord and steward of Gondor." The steward doesn't look up as we approach him, just continues to keep his head down with his eyes focused on something laying in his lap. "I come with tidings in this dark hour, and with council."

Denethor slowly raises his eyes, as gray as Boromir's had been. I was struck by how similar their features were, the memory I had of a smiling Boromir clashing with the one I had of him taking several arrows to the chest. "Perhaps you came to explain this?" Denethor's voice is full of grief as he holds up the two halves of Boromir's horn. "Perhaps you come to tell me why my son is dead." Pippin steps forward before I could stop him, opening and closing his mouth for a few seconds until he finds his voice.

"Boromir died to save us... My kinsman and me. He fell, defending us from many foes." I lower my eyes to my boots, tears stinging my eyes as I remember how he'd fallen to the ground in front of me, taking an arrow that should have been buried in my throat. Pippin drops to a knee before Denethor, offering the crazed man his sword. "I offer my service, such as it is, in payment of this debt."

"This is my first command to you. How did you escape and my son did not, so might a man as he was?"

"Even mighty men will fall when pierced by many arrows." I draw a shaky breath, grateful when Haldir wraps an arm around my waist and hugs me close to him.

"Get up," Gandy hisses, thumping Pip slightly with his staff. "My Lord, there will be a time to grieve for Boromir, but it is not now. War is coming. The enemy is on your doorstep. As steward, you are charged with the defense of this city. Where are Gondor's armies?" Denethor slowly meets Gandy's eyes again. "You still have friends. You are not alone in this fight. Send word to Théoden of Rohan, light the beacons." Denethor smiles, the slight curving of his lips holding nothing good.

"You think you are wise, Mithrandir," he muses softly," yet for all your subtleties, you have not wisdom. Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know. With your left hand you would use me as a shield against Mordor, and with your right you would seek to supplant me." His narrow-eyed gaze lands on me for a split second and I quickly turn my eyes to the ground with a shudder. "I know who rides with Théoden of Rohan. Oh, yes, word has reached my ears of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And I tell you now, I will not bow to this Ranger from the North or his daughter, last of a ragged house long bereft of Lordship." Gandy looks shocked for a moment before his lips tighten.

"Authority is not given you to deny the return of the King, Steward."

"The rule of Gondor is _mine_and no other's," Denethor explodes, rising from the chair. Gandalf gives the steward one last scathing glare before turning on his heel and leaving; Haldir, Pip, and I quickly following after him.

"All has turned to vain ambition. He would even use his grief as a cloak. The guards open the doors for us, permitting us to the fresh air outside. "A thousand years this city has stood. Now, at the whim of a madman, it will fall. And the White Tree, the tree of the king will never bloom again." Pip and I struggle to keep up with the other two, our legs not nearly so long as to permit the large steps they took.

"Why are they still guarding it," Pippin asks, looking towards the four guards standing at the ready around the tree. It was a pathetic looking thing, all white bark and not even a single leaf to brighten it up. It stood near a small, circular pool filled with clear water with a white fountain in the center, and benches were situated between the four fractions of grass.

"The guard it because they have hope. A faint and fading hope that one day it will flower. That a king will come and this city will be as it once was before it fell into decay." As we were passing the dying tree, something catches my attention and makes me pause. The others walk of a few feet before they realized I wasn't with them, the three of them joining my side. "What is it, Ashley?"

"I thought it was dead," I answer, reaching out to run the tip of my finger over the tiny leaf trying hard to grow. It was the strangest leaf I'd ever seen, in the shape of a laurel and smooth as silk, the top of it was a dark green while the bottom was a silver color. "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times," I quote with a fond smile," if one only remembers to turn on the light."


	5. Crowned Kings and Dead Cities

ANDREA

"It must be getting near teatime," Sam comments as we walk along the path behind Gollum. My feet felt as though they would fall off at any minute and my stomach thought my throat had been cut, and he's talking about _tea_? "Leastways, it would be in decent places where there is still teatime." Gollum pauses and turns to face Sam with a creepy smile.

"We're not in decent places," he reminds the Hobbit, his voice sounding harsher than usual. Sure, that might have been from almost being strangled, but I had a feeling that it was mainly Sméagol trying to freak Sammy out.

"Keep moving," I order, not wanting to break up another fight. The last thing I need right now is for Gollum to pull out a handmade shiv and stab Sam, because then I'd have to kill Gollum and I'd be hopelessly lost in the place. I wasn't even sure where _here _was, surrounded on my left and right by dead trees that barely reached my waist and the trampled grass under my feet that was a dark yellow as it died.

As we came out of the woods, I find a large stone statue that might have been of a great ruler a long time ago. Not it was in the middle of wasting away, covered in lichen and a stone from the ground taking the place of its head, covered in a rusted cage. A few feet further on, I find the head of the statue, thick leaves growing over it and a crown of flowers around its head.

"Andi, look at this." I turn and follow Sam's gaze towards the head again, the sunlight spilling through the trees lighting up its stone face and making the white flowers look golden. "The king has got a crown again."

"So it does," I return with a smile. My thoughts turned to Aragorn again, wondering where he was or if he was even still alive. The last update I'd gotten from Ashley was just after some battle or another and I've been worried ever since. Was he somewhere sort of safe or were all of my friends dead like I would soon be?

With those thoughts bouncing around in my head, I begin to walk again with Sammy falling into step beside me. No matter what, at least I still had my Sam.

ASHLEY

Haldir and I enter Pippin's room, hand in hand and even managing smiles despite what we knew was coming. I wince when I see the tiny uniform of the royal guard laid out on the bed, not able to imagine Pippin being in a real war, not wanting to. He was just so small and I couldn't stand to picture him fight humans. The Hobbit and Gandalf are out on the balcony, looking out on the quiet city.

"It's so quiet," Pip remarks, moving to my side as Haldir and I join them.

"It's the deep breath before the plunge," Gandalf says.

"I don't want to be in a battle, but waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse. Is there any hope, Gandalf, for Andrea and Sam?"

"If I know Andi," I tell him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders," which I like to think I do, she and Sam are already most of the way there and arguing over who's gonna eat what when they get back." Pippin looks up at me with a smile and I pat his shoulder comfortingly. "She's even more stubborn than I am, Pip, and she won't back down until all is well again." All our eyes are drawn towards the fire colored skies above Mordor as thunder booms, the warning sound before a storm.

"Our enemy is almost ready," Gandalf says grimly," his full strength gathered; not only Orcs, but men as well. Legions of Haradrim from the south, mercenaries from the coast. All will answer Mordor's call. This will be the end of Gondor as we know it. Here the hammer stroke will fall the hardest. If the river is taken, if the garrison at Osgiliath falls, the last defense of this city will be gone."

"But we have the White Wizard, that's got to count for something," Pippin says hopefully, looking up at Gandy. The wizard says nothing, looking as though he hadn't even heard the Hobbit. "Gandalf?" Haldir pulls me close when he notices me shivering in the chilly evening air, placing a kiss on top of my head.

"Sauron has yet to release his deadliest servant, the one who will lead Mordor's armies into battle. The one they say no living man can kill. The Witch-king of Angmar." He looks at Pippin now with an expression that matched his tone. "You've met him before, he stabbed Frodo on Weathertop." I let out a shaky breath, wrapping my arms around Haldir's waist and resting my cheek on his firm chest. "He is the Lord of the Nazgûl, the greatest of the nine. And Minas Morgul is his lair."

A column of bright light shoots into the air from the center of Mordor, a deafening sound like the screaming of a tornado accompanying it and making Haldir cover his sensitive ears quickly. I rise on my tiptoes and cover his hands with mine, wanting to help him in any way I could while he ground his teeth in pain.

"We come to it at last," Gandalf states. "The great battle of our time. The board is set and the pieces are moving."

ANDREA

Sam and I join Sméagol in a gully beside a badly constructed road, Sméagol peering over the edge to see the city across the way. It glows with a strange light that makes me shy away, the twin statues on either side of the bridge that leads to the city are huge and menacing, obviously meant to be a _do not enter_ sign and working perfectly. "The Dead City," Sméagol tells us," very nasty place, full of enemies." As quickly as we were able, we scramble over the side and into the shadows towards Minas Morgul. "Quick! Quick, they will see, they will see!" I stare up at the statues and the second I do I feel trapped inside a tilt-a-whirl. The world begins to spin and nausea hits me, almost making me double over as the breath feels stolen from my lungs. "Come away, we have found it!" I forcefully drag my eyes away from Minas Morgul to the narrow staircase Sméagol expects us to climb. It was practically straight up with almost no slope, like a ladder or those steps in Moria. "The way into Mordor… The secret stairs."

That weird feeling hits me again like it did back in Osgiliath when I attacked Sam, my feet start moving forward towards the Dead City and there was naught I could do about it. "No, Andi," Sam shouts.

"Not that way!" Sam and Sméagol catch up to me, each grabbing an arm and pulling me backwards.

"They want me," I say in a dreamy voice, eyes locked on the place I want to get to. The world spins again, making me stumble and fall. That's when I realize that the world really was moving, another earthquake was happening. Twin flames shoot up into the sky, one from Mordor and the other from Minas Morgul. Sam and Sméagol help me to my feet and usher me to the stairs, moving fast and practically dragging me.

Control comes back to me then, and I join the others behind some rocks, hands over my ears to muffle the deafening screech. When the sound ceases, I raise my head up until I can see and what I see makes my blood run cold: The With-king riding his Fell-beast above Minas Morgul, settling on the battlements. The gate opens and a massive army marches out, a seemingly unending mass of Orcs passing close to our hiding place.

"Come, Hobbits," Sméagol whispers," we climb. We must climb!" Hurriedly, Sam and I follow Sméagol up the stairs, trying not to look down for fear of falling or of spotting the army. The stairs are slick under my feet and hands, the strain of climbing making me realize just how weak I'd become. "Up the stairs we go, and then we go into the tunnel, yes we do." I roll my eyes, moving ahead of Gollum and continuing to climb until I realize no one is following.

"No more slinker," Sam was saying in a threatening tone I'd never heard him use before, the blade of his dagger pressed tightly against Gollum's neck," no more stinker. You're gone, got it? I'm watching you." I smile a little as Sammy begins to climb again, glad that he could protect himself yet sad that the sweet Hobbit I had known was now capable of murder.

"What was that," I ask with amusement coloring my tone."

"Just clearing some things up is all."

"I'm proud of you, Sammy."


	6. Cuddling Hangovers

ASHLEY

With a gasp, I pull myself over the ledge and onto my stomach next to Pippin. _This is the real reason Gandy dragged me along, to do his dirty work__!_ Above us is the beacon of Gondor and a few feet away are two guards that would just love to kill us if it meant things would get more interesting. Perching on my knees, I look over at Pip and begin to concentrate and lift him up a few feet, hoping like hell that I don't lose focus and drop him. Slowly, I raise him until he can grab to oil to pour on the wood and light it with the torch before quickly bringing him back down. Pip and I start our descent as the two guards jump to their feet.

The climb down is made harder by the fact that I have only enough upper arm strength needed to open a stubborn jar of pickles, and that's only when someone says that I can't. The tower type building that the beacon was set up on was tall and the rock jutted out at random angles, sometimes helpful and sometimes hindering. By the time my feet touched the ground again, my arms felt like jelly and were shaking terribly.

"I'm never doing that again," I grumble to Pippin, who nods in agreement.

"Neither am I," he concurs," they can find a new Hobbit for that." Haldir jogs over to us, hurrying us away towards the citadel so that we can't be seen as the idjits that lit the beacon without the steward's permission. I mean, _we were_, but we don't need anyone else to think so just yet. "Where's Gandalf?"

"Watching to see if the other beacons have been lit," Haldir answers in a hushed voice as we pass through one of the alleys, keeping both Pip and me close to him as his sense of protection kicks in full force. "Denethor's guards are still outside our rooms so Ashley will have to levitate everyone through the window and hope they have not gone inside to look through our belongings." I swallow past the lump in my throat, feeling nervous and excited at the same time, that same feeling I got just before the battle in Moria. Breathing heavily, we stop outside Pippin's room, where I slowly raise him up to his balcony ledge and I concentrate on him until I know he's stable. Next, Haldir and I rush to the room we share and I lift us both onto our own balcony before my strength fails and we drop onto the hard, marble floor.

"I feel like death," I groan softly, curling up on my side and letting Haldir pick me up easily. The fact that he did it without any sound of protest gave my self-esteem a boost, but I would rather be pigging out right about now than aching so badly. Haldir lays me down on the lush bed with my head in his lap. "This is so much worse than a hangover."

"Just rest for a few minutes and you'll be fine, Mel." He pushes some of my tangled hair off my face and behind my ear, placing a kiss on the very tip of my nose. "Denethor wishes us to see him later tonight, but I do not trust him."

"You just kissed my nose." I giggle, looking up at him with a smile.

"Hmm, yes I did." He smiles back, shifting slightly to put another kiss on both of my eyelids, and then my lips. It wasn't possessive or bruising, it was a simple kiss that meant he loved me. "And now it's time for you to sleep." I nod, eyes already closed as sleep swept me away to a dream of epic proportions. It had something to do with Haldir and a beach, and something else about a giant piece of cherry pie, and a talking pickle. Yeah, I loved that dream, especially the part with the pie. I love me some pie.

KHARL

The ringing of a bell jerks me out of blissful sleep, the harsh sunlight stabbing my eyes and making my headache that much worse. I shouldn't have gotten drunk last night, but it had been so long since I had a taste of alcohol that I couldn't resist. "The beacons of Minas Tirith," Aragorn shouts as he runs into the hall," the beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!" Théoden looks up, startled at the Ranger's sudden appearance. I just collapse back on the floor with a grunt.

"Then Rohan will answer," the King answers," muster the Rohirrim!" _Fucking fantastic, going into battle with a hangover_. I stand up slowly and stumble to my room, pulling on clean clothing, chain mail, and all those other fixings you need to kill someone. The courtyard outside is filled with soldiers and women wishing their men well and a safe return. I had no one to see me off since Ash was in Minas Tirith with Gandy and her elf, my ex hates my guts, and my newest girlfriend is probably sleeping with my brother right now.

I mount a borrowed horse of a soldier that's out of commission and ride with the others. _This day wasn't gonna get better anytime soon_, I think with a sour look, fighting not to get sick. _At least the night before was pretty cool, what little I could remember_.

"Horsemen," Gimli huffs behind Leggy in the saddle. "I wish I could muster a legion of dwarves, fully armed and filthy.

"Your kinsman may have no need to ride to war," Legolas replies," I fear war already marches on their own land." After a rousing speech from Éomer, we ride off in one large group of warriors and women, a few people branching off to gather more from other settlements and lead them to where we'll be going. _Dunharrow, what kind of weird name is that for a rendezvous spot?_


	7. Dark Thoughts

ANDREA

I struggle to climb the stairs, nausea making me shaky and it doesn't help that the further up we go the more deteriorated the stairs become. Part of the step under my feet crumbles, leaving me dangling in midair by my fingers. "Careful, Master," Sméagol warns," very far to fall, very dangerous on the stairs." _No shit, Sherlock_. Sméagol peers down at me over the ledge he was perched on. As I try to grab onto the ledge, the Ring slips out and dangles in plain sight for all to see. Sméagol backs up quickly as though he had been struck, blue eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

"Andrea," Sam shouts with his little sword drawn. The sudden shout makes me jump and lose the footing I had just managed to get. "Get back, you! Don't touch her!" Sméagol grabs my arm in a bruising hold, pulling me up with surprising strength and dropping me on my stomach.

"Why does he hate poor Sméagol," Sméagol asks in a hurt tone. "What has Sméagol ever done to him, Master? Master carries a heavy burden…. Sméagol knows…. Heavy, heavy burden. Fat one cannot know. Sméagol looks after Master." Sméagol comes closer to me to whisper in my ear. "He wants it. He needs it! Sméagol sees it in his eyes. Very soon, he will ask you for it—you will see…. The fat one will take it from you."

My eyes move from the malnourished Hobbit to Sam, distrust surging through me as I hold tightly to the Ring. _Don't trust anyone_, a small voice whispers. _They will take it from you. Sam will take it from you the second he gets the chance. He wants it for himself, he wants the power the Ring would give him_. Sam struggles up the stairs, face covered in dirt and blood and grime—the innocence slowly fading away from his hazel eyes.

"Andi," he grunts, holding up a hand for help. Slowly, I reach out and take it, pulling him up onto the ledge after a second's debate on whether I should just let him fall and be done with it. "Thank you." Nodding, I look down at the hard, uneven ground, breathing becoming more difficult. "Maybe we should rest for a few hours, give you a chance to catch your breath."

"Yes," I nod, speaking distractedly as dark thoughts begin to take over. "Yes, resting would be nice…. We should all rest to gather our strength and courage." _Kill him while he sleeps, it would be easy. You could use one of his pots or smother him with his cloak_. I shake the thoughts away, shivering in the cold. It would only get worse, these thoughts come more and more frequently these days and I can't stop them or slow them down as I used to. One of these days I may actually act on them and do something I could never redeem myself of, like murdering Sam. I can't do this for much longer.

This burden is too much for someone to bear on their own like I am.


	8. The Sacrifice of Faramir

ASHLEY

I had thought the dresses in Rivendell were, bad, but the dress I was forced to wear for the ceremony today was even worse. Lilac in color with silver accents, it swirled and tangled around my legs, the corset beneath too tight around my lungs and making breathing difficult. Its neckline was a little too low for my liking, but its bellowing sleeves covered the stretchmarks on my arms, and the black belt wrapped around my waist offered a place to put my dagger and its sheath.

It appears Denethor has certain requirements for the women in his court, and dressing like a woman is one of the highest ones. Most of my hair was done up in some elaborate style I've never encountered before with strange green flowers braided into it so that the green compliments the near red color. I hated all of it, hated it more than I hated high heels, but Haldir had thought it the funniest thing in the world.

Still, dressed in some of my grandmother's old clothing, I was allowed to wander through the halls as long as I had a guard with me at all times. I suppose I got lucky in that regard since the man following Haldir and I around was Faramir, a sweet man with red hair and a kind face. I'd liked him the second I saw him, finding him to be honest and trustworthy, and it didn't hurt that he was handsome as well.

"Don't worry, Daisy," I assure him as we walk down the hall," your dad may have thought he was punishing you with guard duty, but I'm probably the nicest person you'll ever meet." He gets a weird look on his face, stopping and turning to face me.

"Daisy," he asks with raised brows," you and Andrea truly were friends, weren't you?" I nod, wondering where he was going with this. "It's just that she called me Daisy as well and I can't quite figure out the reason." _Because Dom and Billy said that was your nickname during the commentary of Return of the King_.

"You just look like a Daisy, is all." Faramir and I share a smile, coming to stop in a doorway when we notice Pip sitting by himself on a wooden bench. He just looked so scared that the mother in me wanted to reach out and hold him forever, but Haldir put a hand on my arm and gave a slight shake of his head.

"What service could a Hobbit offer such a great lord of men," Pippin asks himself, sounding close to tears.

"It was well-done," Faramir offers, obviously feeling the same way I did about comforting Pip. We walk down the hall towards Pippin, the Hobbit standing upon seeing us. "A generous deed should not be checked with cold counsel. You are to join the tower guard." Pip offers up a kind smile, but I could still see the tears that he was struggling to blink back. He was dressed in a black doublet with the white tree of Gondor stitched into the front, and beneath that was silver chainmail.

"I didn't think they would find any livery that would fit me."

"It once belonged to a young boy of the city. A very foolish one who wasted many hours slaying dragons instead of attending to his studies."

"This was yours?" Pip looks genuinely happy now, glad to have finally found someone in this palace that wasn't prepared to stab people in the back. Faramir looked surprised that Pip had caught on, giving the Hobbit the happiest smile I've seen him make all day.

"Yes, it was mine. My father had it made for me." He reaches out to straighten on of the short sleeves of the doublet, the look in his eyes hinting at nostalgia from seeing the outfit again.

"Well, I'm taller than you were then, though I'm not likely to grow anymore, except sideways." We all laugh at that one, each of us knowing how much Hobbits liked their food.

"Never fitted me either. Boromir was always the soldier." Faramir's smile dims at the mention of his father, and that instinct inside me flared up again. I moved before Haldir could suggest I do otherwise, rising up on the tips of my toes so I could wrap Faramir up in a tight hug.

"Your brother was a great man," I tell him," but you're a great man to and anyone who would have you believe otherwise isn't worth your time." Faramir had tensed when I hugged him, but then I felt him relax and hug me back. He hugged me like he never wanted the moment to end, like he hadn't been hugged in a long time, which he probably hadn't considering how cold his father was. "From now on, you're my other brother and I'll kick the ass of anyone who tries to put you down."

"That sounds like an amazing thing to see."

"She's not joking," Haldir informs him when I step back," it was only by luck that I caught her before she hit Lady Galadriel." I nod with a sheepish smile, recalling the incident that got Haldir to hold me for the very first time. _Totally worth the verbal reprimand I got from Adar the next evening_. "Now, shall we all get this ceremony over with?" All of us face the door at the end of the hall with uneasy looks, knowing Denethor waited beyond it in the throne room. With a nervous twisting in my belly, I allow Faramir to lead the way inside.

"Late as always," Denethor comments when we walk inside, not bothering to rise from his seat. "Kneel, Master Hobbit, and recite your vows." Pippin does just that, bowing his head respectfully while the rest of us stand off to the side.

"Here do I swear fealty and service to Gondor," Pippin delivers in a strong voice," in peace or war, in living or dying, from…." I wince as he falters, biting my lip to keep from crying out in protest of all of this. "From this hour henceforth until my lord release me... Or death takes me." Haldir keeps me close to him, his malicious gaze trained on the steward in case the older man tried something stupid.

"And I should not forget it, nor fail to reward that which is given," Denethor smiles. He stands from his chair and walks the few feet over to Pippin, holding out his hand for Pippin to kiss his ring. "Fealty with love." He raises Pippin's head while looking at his son. "Valor with honor." He crosses the room to sit at a table with bowls of food on it. "Disloyalty with vengeance." He begins to pile food on his plate while a servant pours wine into his goblet. "I do not think we should so lightly abandon the outer defenses, defenses that your brother long held intact."

"What would you have me do," Faramir asks sadly.

"I will not yield the river in Pelennor unfought. Osgiliath must be retaken."

"My Lord, Osgiliath is overrun."

"Much must be risked in war. Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?" Faramir was fighting back tears and the only thing that kept me from striking out was the stern look Haldir leveled in my direction.

"You wish now that that our places had been exchanged, that I had died and Boromir had lived?"

"Yes," Denethor says coldly," I wish that." Despite the look I received and faster than the guards could grab me, I charge forward and punch Denethor hard enough to send him and his chair to the floor.

"Don't you _ever _talk to your son like that again, you-" Faramir puts a hand over my mouth as the guards help Denethor back to his feet, the old man looking stunned that I'd done anything. Trying to defuse the situation or distract his father, Faramir speaks again, struggling to keep me from lunging at his father.

"Since you are robbed of Boromir, I will do what I can in his stead." He hands me over to Haldir, giving the barest shake of his head in a gesture that tells me to behave. When he was sure Haldir had a good grip on me, he bows low to his father and spins on his heel towards the exit, stopping in the doorway to send a look back at his father. "If I should return

He bows low and spins on his heel towards the exit, stopping in the doorway and looking over his shoulder back at his father. "If I should return, think better of me, Father."

"That will depend on the manner of your return." I bite my cheek, hands clenching into fists as I physically struggled not to say something that could get me or the people I care about slaughtered. No one should talk to their child like that. He should be happy he still has Faramir, not pissed off. _He's_ the one that sent Boromir off, it's _his_ fault that Boromir was killed. But I keep my mouth closed and my eyes on the ground as is expected of me in this place.

I've already fucked up once today and I can't afford to let my temper get the best of me again. I would protect the ones I care about even if it means shutting down most of what I've been taught. Women aren't considered strong here, they're dainty and fragile, keep your head down, bow when necessary, and say nothing unless spoken to. "I'm fine," I whisper to Haldir, feeling his arms relax in their hold.

"Can you sing, Master Hobbit?"

"Well..." Pippin sends Haldir and me uneasy looks. "Yes, at least, well enough for my own people. But we have no songs for great halls and evil times." Denethor bites into a tomato, some of the juice trailing down his chin in a manner similar to blood.

"And why should your songs be unfit for my halls?" Denethor sends a hateful look in Pippin's direction and I speak up without thinking again.

"My Lord," I interrupt, taking the pressure off Pippin," maybe you could have someone more prepared come in and sing for you." His gaze lands on me, harsh and unyielding. I stare back, glad to finally have a challenge from him without Gandy here to stop me. His nose wasn't broken, but it was already beginning to bruise and his eyes looked puffy.

"Someone like you? Sing, then and we will see if I should have made the Hobbit take your place." _Aw fuck_.

"When I said someone more prepared—"

"Sing or I shall have you thrown out of these halls for daring to touch me." _Bitch, that was just a love tap_. But I take a deep breath and meet the bastard's stare head on, singing the first song to pop into my head.

"_If you were with me now, I'd find myself in you. If you were with me know, you're the only one who knew all the things we planned to do. I want to live my life the way you said I would with courage as my light, fighting for what's right like you made me believe I could. And I will fly on my father's wings to places I have never been, there is so much I've never seen. And I can feel his heart beats still and I will do great things on my father's wings! This world I'll never see, this world that just won't be, this horse's stride with one days' ride will have covered more distance than me. And I will fly on my father's wings to places I have never been, there is so much I've never seen. And I can feel his heart beats still and I will do great things on my father's wings! Someday, with his spirit to guide me and his memory beside me, I will be free to fly on my father's wings to places I have never been. There is so much I've never seen and I can feel his heart beats still and I will do great things on my father's wings! On my father's wings._"

**The song Ashley sings is called On my Father's Wings from Quest for Camelot.**


	9. Turning her Back

ANDREA

I let out a small whimper when I feel Sammy shake my shoulder, not ready to get up just yet after the fitful rest I'd been somewhat enjoying. "Sorry to wake you, Andi, we have to be moving on." Begrudgingly, I sit up, rubbing my lower back in pain as Sam rummages around in his pack.

"It's still dark," I grumble, flopping back down and regretting it immediately when I land on a rock and my back begins to hurt even worse. "It's not safe to stumble around in the dark."

"It's always dark her—" His face registers a look of shock. "It's gone…. The Elvish bread!" He looks over at Gollum with an expression of pure hatred and anger. "He took it! He must have!" Sméagol's eyes widen at the accusation, shaking his head wildly.

"Sméagol," Sméagol asks," No, no, not poor Sméagol. Sméagol hates nasty elf bread!"

"You're a lying wretch!"

"He doesn't eat it," I point out with dawning realization. "He can't have taken it." Sméagol slaps Sammy's jacket lightly, sending crumbs to the ground.

"What's this," Sméagol asks, "Crumbs on his jacketses! _He took it! _He took it! I seen him, he's always stuffing his face when Mistress isn't looking!" I look to Sam with a hurt expression, believing Sméagol despite my better judgment. Sam looks equally hurt at the belief on my face, shaking his head slowly. _Could he have taken it?_

"That's a filthy lie," he shouts, voice breaking at the end. Sam lunges forward, knocking Sméagol to the ground and begins punching the creature. "You stinking two-faced sneak! Call me a thief!" I start forward, weakly pulling at Sam and yelling for him to stop. "I'll kill him! I'll kill him!" Dizziness hits me again, along with that traitorous voice and I collapse on the ground. I felt drained and defeated for the first time in my life. Always I had something, some bright light, to pull me out of this dark depression, but no such light shone down on me now. Sam looks at me, horrified. "Alright, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to go so far. I was angry… Here, let's rest up a bit."

"I'm alright," I tell him, wanting to just be left alone in silence for a while. I look down at the city below us, wondering what would happen to the Ring if I just rolled off the edge of the stairs and let everything end.

"No, no you're not alright! You're exhausted! It's that Gollum, it's this place, it's that _thing_ around your neck." I give Sam a stern, paranoid look at mention of the Ring, but he doesn't seem to notice. "I could help a bit…. I could carry it for a while, share the load." His words echo in my mind, speaking of his longing for the Ring. _He wants to take it from me_.

"Get away!" I push him down, clutching the Ring through my shirt as I clumsily scramble to my feet.

"I don't want to keep it. I just want to help!"

"See, see," Sméagol shouts," He wants it for himself!"

"Shut up, you! Go away, get out of here!"

"No, Sammy," I say softly," it's you." Tears well up in Sam's eyes, but he refuses to let them fall just yet. "I'm sorry, Sam." I could feel the tears as they fall down my cheeks, part of me screaming to keep Sam around and throw Gollum of the ledge, but a louder voice telling me that Sam is a traitor and he always has been. _He wants to take it from me and get all the glory_.

"But," he says hopelessly. "He's a liar… He's poisoned you against me."

"You can't help me anymore."

"You don't mean that." The horrified feeling of losing Sam begins to dim as the dark voice in my head grows louder than ever, and my tears begin to dry up.

"Go home." I felt calm and in control for the first time since I'd came here to Middle-earth. The dam bursts and the tears Sam was holding back earlier begins to flow down his cheeks. I turn around, not wanting to see it lest I take him back and risk the safety of the Ring. "Come on, Sméagol."


	10. Ghost Infestation

KHARL

Our group rides into a large camp beneath a blissful covering of trees. I felt hot and sweaty after the long ride here, not a feeling I'd ever really grow used to. "Grimbold," Théoden asks," how many?"

"I bring five hundred Men from the Westfold, my lord," the man answers as we ride past.

"We have three hundred more from Fenmarch, Théoden King," another man calls out. Théoden smiles grimly and our group continues to ride through the crowded camp.

"Where are the riders from Snowbourn," he asks Gamling.

"None have come, my lord." I give a sigh, knowing that we didn't have nearly as many men as we needed to win this war. We would be crushed, but, by God, I would fight if it means it'll make a difference. _I never knew when to give up, just ask my fourth grade teacher!_ We come to a stop partway up a large mountain, my legs protesting as I climb down out to the saddle.

"Easy, Hidalgo," I tell the horse as it grows jittery. It was a dark brown color and was relatively tame since we don't' have a bond quite yet, but it knew something was wrong close by. "There's no Graboids here, we'll be fine, boy." He brushes a gentle hand along the horse's muzzle.

"You're good with horses," Éomer comments with a friendly nod.

"I should be since I grew up on a farm." It wasn't actually a farm, but it was just outside town limits and we had enough room for horses, pigs, chickens, gardens, and the woods behind the house served great for deer and Bobcat hunting. "We had to sell my horse last year, and I'm a bit out of practice, but they're great animals."

"Indeed they are." I look away from the horse and towards the other man, taking in the fact that he was dressed in armor, his dirty blonde hair stopped at his shoulders in tangles, and his dark eyes could have the power of pinning a man in place with one glare. "Your name is Kharl?"

"Yeah, and yours in Éomer." He nods again, reaching out a hand to pat down Hidalgo's mane.

"Ashley talked a lot about you after I rescued her from the Orcs."

"I swear, it was all lies," I laugh, but Éomer only smiles. "Ash and I basically grew up together, we got in a lot of stupid situations back before we gained a little common sense." He raises an eyebrow at that and I give a shrug. "I did say we only gained a little bit."

"Does she always talk so much?" I take the reins and tie them to a nearby branch, making sure it couldn't get loose if it kicked up a fuss.

"Only when she's really tired or nervous." With a sigh, I lean back against the tree and close my eyes, worry making my brows knit together. "My sister is in a place filled with backstabbers and she doesn't know the first thing about being subtle, and my other friend is heading towards the most dangerous place on earth with a Hobbit that likes to knock Orcs out with a frying pan."

"If what I heard from Ashley is true, then not only will your other friend survive, but she'll gloat about it afterwards. Ashley, on the other hand, may just punch the steward of Gondor in his face before we reach her."

"Knowing her, she already has." As Éomer and I begin to unsaddle our nervous horses, the elf and Gimli approach. It seemed too quiet in the camp and all here know that they probably won't make it out of the coming battle. Wives will be made widows, children fatherless or losing a sibling. My thoughts turn to my ex and our son, tears welling unexpectedly. I paid child support, more than was asked for, and Ash helped to take care of the baby while Rosie was working. Because of what I do to earn money, I couldn't get full custody of my baby and now I might never see him again.

"The horses are restless," Leggy comments," and the men are quiet."

"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain," Éomer states. My eyes move to the unkempt road that leads into the mountain—the mountain that makes everyone uneasy yet curious. 

"Where does it go," I ask.

"It is the road to the Dimholt," Leggy answers," the door under the mountain." Looks like the kind of place Ash might write about in her scary stories and make Andi or I illustrate. It had that weird vibe that would send people running in the other direction if they had any sense, and even I didn't get the urge to stroll down the narrow pass and Ash used to joke that I'd be the first to die in a horror movie.

"None who venture there ever return," Éomer tells us. "That mountain is evil."

"And we decided to camp right beside the damn thing," I quip," how lovely. A perfect place to set up shop, really." I shrug off the eerie feeling and walk back to my tent, pulling out a crumpled photo from my pocket once I was inside where no one else could see. The photo was taken at the Cushing hospital the day my son was born. Rosie was holding him with a smile and I was standing beside the bed. Ash's dad had taken the picture with his fancy new camera.

That had been a great day for me even if I wasn't called until after my son was born, he was healthy and beautiful, and that's all that really mattered to me. He would be attending preschool this year, a student in Ashley's class that I was certain she'd spoil. When I left, he was swearing that he'd grow his dark red hair out to match mine.

***~Later That Night~***

Gimli and I step in Aragorn's way, making him and Brego stop. "Just where do you think you're off to," Gimli demands. Aragorn has a determined set to his jaw that I've seen a thousand times on a more feminine face. He must have given Ash what I call the 'stubborn ass' gene.

"Not this time," Aragorn says. "This time you both must remain here."

"Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves and men," Elf-boy asks, coming to stand next to Aragorn, holding the reigns of two horses.

"Suck it up, old man," I grin, taking my horse's reigns from Leggy," we're coming whether you like it or not." Aragorn shakes his head with a smile. "By the way, it's time for your daily reminder that Ashley will castrate you herself if you get with that pretty blonde woman." All of us mount our horses and ride slowly through the camp towards the road under the mountain. I ignore the shouts of the other men, my head held high and my gaze focused strictly on the path ahead of me. The road is gloomy and depressing as we ride between the mountain walls, like something out of a horror movie.

"What kind of army would linger in such a place," Gimli asks, looking around nervously.

"One that is cursed," Leggy answers in a grim tone. "Long ago, the Men of the Mountains swore an oath to the last King of Gondor to come to his aid, to fight. But when the time came, when Gondor needed them most, they fled…. Vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildur cursed them, never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge. Who shall call them from the grey twilight? The forgotten people. The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. From the north shall he come. Need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead."

I shiver in the cold despite my thick clothing, wishing there was more here than grey rock and dead trees. Soon we're forced to dismount and lead the horses down the path, an unnatural breeze wrapping around us. _Sounds to me like we need some medieval Ghostbusters_. When we finally reach the end, we're met with a towering rock wall, too high to even think about climbing. Set into the rock is a doorway, the outside of it carved to look like an elaborate doorjamb. Above it there are strange words carved into the rock and beyond is only darkness.

"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away," Gimli gasps, growing scared.

"The way is shut," Legolas reads. "It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut." A sudden wind rushes out of the opening, spooking the horses and making them gallop back towards the camp, mine nearly taking my arm with it if I hadn't let go when I had.

"I do not fear death," Aragorn says with a steely resolve in his eyes.

"I do," I mumble to no one, pulling out the only pistol I have that has ammo left in it. Aragorn marches into the darkness with Leggy and I right behind him, Gimli bringing up the rear. Pale green wisps of smoke swirl around us, a face appearing in it every now and then. _As I was walking up the stairs I saw a man who wasn't there_, I think with a worried look. _He wasn't there again today, how I wish he'd go away_. Skulls stand strong under my feet, barely showing any evidence of wear and tear.

"What do you see," Gimli asks the elf in a whisper.

"I see shapes of men," Legolas answers, staring around with his eyes narrowed as we continue along the path," and of horses. Pale banners like shreds of clouds, spears rise like winter thickets through a shroud of mist. The Dead are following. They have been summoned."

Gimli blows air rapidly at the ghosts, looking like a desperate asthmatic that can't get enough air. Aragorn, armed with a torch and his sword, leads us into a wide cavern. A terrifying creaking noise starts, like a stone being cracked open as we enter a large cavern that was made a long time ago. A few paces to my right was an enormous hole and to my left are a set of stairs carved into the rock of the mountain that led to more darkness. _At least this floor isn't made up of bones_.

"Who enters my domain," a man's voice demands before a ghost in rotted clothing appears on the steps. His eyes are sunken into his head, his teeth are broken in his mouth, his being nothing more than the same green mist that swirls around the floor, his nose belonged more to a skull than a man, and he wore a strange crowned helm on his head.

Aragorn takes a step forward without fear, his voice firm and unwavering," One who will have your allegiance."

"The Dead do not suffer the living to pass."

"You _will_ suffer me." _I'm _beginning to doubt the logic in coming here. The King of the Dead begins to laugh malevolently, the maddening sound echoing off the walls. The fog surrounding us forms a city on the other side of the large hole, stairs and parapets from ages ago. Occupying those stairs was row upon row of ghostly warriors holding rusted weapons that looked about ready to fall apart. I look at them in awe, thousands of dead men and their tattered banners. They could tip the scales in our favor if we got them to fight.

"The way is shut." The King repeats Leggy's earlier words. "It was made by those who are Dead and the Dead keep it..." The ghost army surrounds us just as the fog had earlier. "The way is shut," he repeats boldly, taking a few steps forward. "Now you must die." Leggy fires an arrow at the King and it goes through him without causing injury, snapping against a wall. Aragorn moves forward again towards the king, fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword.

"I summon you to fulfill your oath!" The king snarls, drawing his sword and holding it over Aragorn's head.

"None but the King of Gondor may command me!" Aragorn brings his sword up and just barely manages to block the king's sword, both blades crashing against each other. The king stares at Aragorn in disbelief. "It cannot be. That line was broken!" Aragorn grabs the ghost by its neck, resting the blade of Andúril above his hand.

"It has been remade." He shoves the ghost away as he addresses the army. "Fight for us and regain your honor." Aragorn had a way of speaking that made people want to obey him without him even raising his voice. It was impressive and effective to say the least. "What say you?" He's met with deafening silence. "What say you?"

"You're wasting your time, Aragorn," Gimli says grumpily. "They had no honor in life, they have none now in death!"

"I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me and I will hold your oath fulfilled. What say you?" The king begins to laugh again as the city and the ghosts disappear once more, the sound of cracking from earlier growing louder now. A cool wind blows the fog away from us, and I tighten my grip on the sword. Something was about to happen, something that probably won't be good for the four us since Gimli doesn't know how to shut the hole under his nose. Skulls begin to fall from above, shattering when they hit the ground. That was our only warning before the walls on my left begin to collapse, releasing an avalanche of skulls that would bury us alive if we didn't get out in time. "Out!"

"Man," I cry out in frustration," and I thought that avalanche a few months ago was bad!" It was a struggle to follow after the others, the skulls already at waist height and growing the further along I go. One of them collides with my head, the only thing keeping me upright being Legolas's tight hold on my shirt. It's not until we're outside on a slopping green hill that I'm allowed to sit, my head throbbing and a bit of blood sliding from the shallow cut. "I guess that could've been worse."

I was woozy, but even I registered the fact that now wasn't a time for sarcasm. The hill led down to a sea and there were several corsair ships sailing past. The look of anguish on Aragorn's face lets me know that these guys aren't on our side. I swallow back the tears, lowering my head in my hands. _I should've gone with Ash when she ran off with Gandalf, I should be with her now to protect her_.

She may be older than me by fifteen hours, but she may as well be my baby sister with how naïve she is to a lot of things. She's the innocent one in our group, the one that we ran to for guidance and in turn kept her safe from the bad things in the world. It was finally starting to hit that she may not make it through the night with the armies about to invade Minas Tirith.

"We fight." I look up to quickly, the world spinning for a minute before it settled and allowed me to see the Dead King standing in front of Aragorn.

_Hot damn_.


	11. The Battle of Pelennor Fields Part one

ASHLEY

Haldir, Pip, and I follow after the guards carrying the stretcher baring Faramir's body. He and his horse had barely made it through the gates, both pierced by numerous arrows. Denethor charges through the doors of the Tower Hall and over to us, the guards lowering the stretcher to the ground for the steward's inspection. Despite everything Denethor had said to his last remaining son, his eyes hold tears an unimaginable guilt. "Faramir," he cries, dropping to his knees. I remember the look of grief on Faramir's face when Denethor had sent his son to his death. "Say not that he has fallen."

"They were outnumbered," a guard answers sadly," none survived." I turn away from the scene, arms wrapped around myself as I fight the urge to smack the shit out of Denethor. It is his fault! All of this is! He's the one that sent Faramir and the Rangers to an unbeatable battle while he stayed in the comfort of the citadel, eating chicken and drinking wine. He's not a king, he could've fought if he wanted Osgiliath bad enough! He deserved everything he got, but Faramir deserved so much better than a bastard for a father!

With a shaky breath, I kneel next to the stretcher that holds Faramir, placing a hand on his chest. It was moving, just barely, but it was moving! Faramir's alive! "My sons are spent." Tears choke his voice as he stumbles back, allowing Pippin room to kneel next to me and share in shock. "My line has ended."

"He's alive," Pippin shouts upon examining Faramir. I start working at the ties keeping Faramir's chest plate on, planning on doing CPR and hoping like hell that I don't just make things worse. CPR could fracture ribs, and they don't have the medicine here that they have in my time. "He needs medicine, My Lord!"

"My line has ended!" Denethor has made it to the edge of the top level at this point, but I pay him little mind as I run my hands along Faramir's side, checking for broken ribs. Other than the arrows and bruises, he seems to be fine. "Rohan has deserted us. Théoden's betrayed me."

"What can I do," Haldir asks, kneeling beside me and taking my chin in one of his hands. His blue eyes held sincerity and he was ready to do whatever necessary to ensure Faramir lived. The levels below are in chaos, the Orc army at our gates and catapulting large rocks and pieces of the city over the walls.

"I don't suppose you know any good doctors," I ask breathlessly.

"Abandon your posts," Denethor shouts suddenly in a booming voice for all to hear. "Flee, flee for your lives!" Out of nowhere, Gandy shows up and wastes no time in smacking Denethor's head with his staff, he hitting him again and sending the dazed man to the ground. _If that didn't finish what I started, then that guy's nose is made of steel_.

"Prepare for battle," Gandy yells at the men below. He climbs onto Shadowfax's saddle and gallops away, shouting the entire time to the soldiers to return to their posts and fight like there's no tomorrow. Let's be honest here, there probably won't be for most of the people here. Nazgûl on their Fall-beasts circle overhead, swooping down every now and again to toss people to their deaths. Pippin runs off and I run after him, not about to let Pippin fight on his own.

"I don't think so," Haldir grumbles, grabbing the back of my shirt and pulling me back. "I promised your father I'd take care of you and I won't be made a liar of just because of your foolish notion to charge headfirst into a battle!"

"Either you let me go after that Hobbit or you lose a hand, make your choice," I snarl, protectiveness kicking in. Haldir and I have a glaring match for a long while before he finally lets me go and leaves to tend to Faramir as best he could. _Yeah, that's what I thought, Elfy!_

"Don't get yourself killed!" I take off through the streets, doing my best to dodge rubble as it falls from above and jumping out of the way of Fell-beast talons.


	12. Of Corsairs and Mutant Spiders

KHARL

"You may go no further," Aragorn calls out to the men aboard the ships. After we were joined by the ghosties, Aragorn quickly devised a plan and lead us down to the edge of the shore. "You will not enter Gondor." The men aboard the ships laugh at Aragorn's proclamation, but the rest of us remain stoic with our weapons out. The point of my sword was in the sand while Aragorn's rested against his shoulder.

"Who are you to deny us passage," one of the men demands.

"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the bosun's ear." Legolas brought his bow up and nocked an arrow, not noticing the way the butt of Gimli's ax was brought against the bottom of the bow.

"Mind your aim," Gimli advises. When Legolas fired, Gimli nudged the bow and cause the arrow to embed itself in one of the men, the man falling to the deck with a scream. "That's it. Right. We warned you. Prepare to be boarded." The men laugh again as the continue to sail, one even bold enough to ask _you and what army_.

"This one," I shout back with a wicked grin. "The one that's gonna beat your ass into the dirt!" The ghosts pass through us without a hitch, sprinting through the water and aboard the ships to slaughter the Corsair pacing around the deck. "You see? That was way cooler than I thought it would be."

ANDREA

I follow Sméagol up a long ravine, columns of beaten down rock on either side of us. Ahead of us is a great, towering wall of stone with a tunnel carved through it. That tunnel is the place we're gonna have to travel through next and it's gonna be hell because I know that some kind of bug is in there. I scrunch up my nose at the foul stench wafting out of the tunnel, reminding me rotten meat.

"Ugh, do we have to go through whatever the hell that place is called," I moan.

"Mistress must go through the tunnel."

"But I don't wanna…." Oh Lord, I sound like a four year old on the first Monday of school.

"It's the only way. Go in, or go back." I let out a pathetic noise before starting forward once more with Sméagol behind me, dragging my feet a little more. The smell has grown worse now that we're actually in the tunnel and I dry heave off to the side, nothing coming up because nothing's in my stomach. _God, this sucks!_ "Orcses filth," Sméagol explains at the face I make. "Orcses come in here sometimes." The further in we go, the less light there is and I find myself leaning heavily against the wall for support as I follow after Sméagol's scampering noises in the pitch blackness. "Hurry. This way," he shouts far ahead of me. I stumble along, but my legs seem to be made of lead.

"Sméagol?" My voice holds a desperate note that I don't like, but can't help. It was almost pitch black and all sound seemed to distort or echo the second it leaves my mouth.

"Over here." I let go of the wall and slip a few feet later, clutching at the wall again to get up. There's something on the wall now, something gross and sticky, and white.

"What is this?"

"You will see," Sméagol intones in an eerie voice. "Oh, yes... You will see..." I freeze, suddenly feeling panicked in the narrow space, breaths coming out quicker and quicker as I imagine all sorts of monsters in the darkness just waiting to grab me and make me their meal. I can't see the hand in front of my face, but still I look around me constantly in the hope that I could catch sight of Sméagol. I'm alone, though... Alone in the dark with the monsters.

"Sméagol," I shriek, almost sobbing. "Sméagol... Sméagol?!" Sméagol doesn't answer and I realize I've been abandoned here. He'd planned all of this and I've made a horrible mistake. "Sammy?" I start walking again at a slower pace, passing through the sticky substance and wincing when it catches my hair and pulls every now and then. I was close to sobbing, my entire body shaking in fear. A bubbling hiss makes me jerk in surprise, not pausing to see what it is, just beginning to run as fast as I could through this crap to get away. If I saw the creature, I'd probably freeze in fear and be eaten. In my haste I trip over something and get stuck in the white stuff, my struggles only making it worse.

"_I give you the light of Eärendil—our most beloved star."_Galadriel's voice makes me calm slightly, the memory soothing frayed nerves._"May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out."_ Fumbling around until I'm able pull out the small bottle from my pocket and hold it up, I could hear scratching footsteps.

"Hail Eärendil brightest of the stars!" The clear liquid inside flares to light, nearly blinding me after the unending dark. Towering over me is a huge ass spider that almost makes me pee myself. It hisses at the light, the large Tarantula striking the ground with her forelegs. Slowly, I work my way free of the web—it has to be a web because there's a spider livin' here—and back away, still keeping the light held up. The spider moves forward in time with me, then speeds up suddenly in attack. It hits me with one of its front legs and knocks me backward, making the light fall to the ground and dim slightly. The spider squats above me and in a last ditch effort, I draw my sword and begin to stab wildly at it. A lucky hit sends the spider into sharp spasms, allowing me to get to my feet and sprint through the narrow tunnel, leaving the light behind me.

Faint light shines at the end of the tunnel, but before I can get there I run face first into another giant cobweb. I was sobbing outright now at the thought of the spider finding me. My sword is stuck tight in the web and I frantically try to wrench both it and me free and out of this blasted tunnel when Sméagol's voice drifts over to me from nearby in a sing-song tone.

"Naughty little fly, why does it cry? Caught in her web, soon you'll be... Eaten." His voice is sinister and low, promising death one way or another. Desperate, I start biting at the threads keeping me in place, freeing one arm so I could tear it off of me. Rage had joined the terror, lending me strength as I fell forwards and got back to me feet, leaving my trapped sword behind me. I bolt for the exit, knowing I wasn't out of the frying pan just yet. Sméagol leaps at me as I make it out of the tunnel, throwing me to the ground with him on top. "Got away did it, Precious? Not this time, not this time!" I let out a yell, fighting back and managing to gain the upper ground and roll him under me, my hands going to his bared throat and squeezing. "It wasn't us! Sméagol wouldn't hurt mistress!" I squeeze harder, hate consuming me. "Sméagol promised; you must believe us. It was the Precious! The Precious made us do it!"

He'll just kill me in some other way the second he gets the chance. With no remorse left in me for the creature, I stand and drag him to the edge of the ledge we were on, staring at the long fall he would have to endure even as he renewed his struggles against me. "You should have killed me yourself, Sméagol," I tell him coldly. His eyes widen as I heft him up to his feet, real control letting over me as I stare him down. "Because I can swear that I'll do it to you if you survive this." He didn't have a chance to fight back as my fist connected with his midsection, bringing my foot up to kick him off the precipice as he doubled over.

_I hope he dies slow_. I collapse to the ground, trying to even out my breathing and stop my limbs from shaking so badly. Energy was bubbling in me for the first time in ages, urging me to get back up and start moving. Despite my aching joints, I clamber to me feet and start back down the new set of stairs, thinking back on how I'd treated Sammy.

"What have I done?"


	13. The Battle of Pelennor Fields Part two

ASHLEY

I walk closely behind the soldiers as they carry Faramir's body into a mausoleum, fists clenched and Haldir attempting to hold me back. The chamber is bigger than my house with a vaulted ceiling lit by lanterns that hinder more than they help. Marble tombs line the walls with sleeping figures carved on the top. "No tomb for Denethor and Faramir," Denethor whispers in a crazed way. "No long, slow sleep of death embalmed. We shall burn, like the heathen kings of old." Faramir is laid on a stone table in the middle of the room and the soldiers stand to the side with their heads bowed respectively. "Bring wood and oil."

I run forward as the soldiers move to do as they were bid, leaning over Faramir to check if he was still only unconscious. Denethor eyes me suspiciously but says nothing as I hold my hand a few inches from his son's mouth, feeling the barely there breaths that I was hoping for. His skin was slowly going cold from the blood loss, but he was still alive and I wasn't going to let Faramir be killed.

"He's still alive, my lord," I tell the Steward. "There's still time enough to save him. You still have one son." He gestures and two soldiers grab me by my arms, dragging me out of the room while another three grab Haldir. We're thrown out of the hall and the moment I hit the ground I bounce back up and start banging on the closed doors. "You're goin' to kill him, you dumb fucker," I scream, kicking and hitting the door as hard as I could until Haldir pulls me away. "What are you doing? We have to do somethin'!"

"Pippin's inside," he whispers in my ear with a conspiratorial wink. "He's one of the Citadel Guards and might be able to talk some sense into Denethor." I nod slowly, casting a worried glance at the door before drawing my short sword and joining the battle down below. Haldir follows close behind me, taking down Orc after Orc with his bow and arrow. The gate has been smashed and Gondor was slowly drowning in dead bodies. "Get inside," Haldir orders a woman and her daughter. "Get inside!"

The pair runs away from us, slaughtered moments afterwards but an Orc with an ax. He comes after Haldir and me next, swinging the ax with skilled practice, but he's taken down all the same when I draw my dagger and throw at him—the point burying itself in the Orc's eye socket. Haldir grins at me, the thrill of battle kicking in for the both of us. He hands me my dagger back as we head further down into the real fight. It doesn't take long for the two of us to be separated, but I don't stop fighting; if I did it could mean my death.

I grunt as I slide my short sword out of an Orc's belly, its guts spilling out on the cobblestones. "Who's next, bitches," I shout, face spattered with blood, some of it mine and some of it belonging to Orcs. Another of the creatures charge at me, followed by two more. "Oh hell, what happened to them coming one by one like they do in movies? This is some bull!" I throw my dagger dropping one of the Orcs only to have him be replaced by three more. The first one is easy to take care of, a simple slash across its throat, but the other three are more difficult and I'm infinitely glad when a Gondorian soldier comes to my rescue.

Maybe I'll live through this after all.


	14. The Fall of Andrea

ANDREA

I wince, pulling at the chain around my neck and hoping for some relief from the pain as I start up some more stairs. I'm so tired of stairs and I'll never own another home that has the damn things! I glare up at a tower that raises high into the air, an Orc watchtower. I stay in the shadows, knowing that from their vantage point the Orcs could see the stairs pretty well. I keep my eyes on the tower as I continue to climb, my knee throbbing where I'd had surgery back in high school. The feeling of being watched has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end and I spin around in time to see the spider from earlier jumping down on me.

I didn't get a chance to react before it sticks me with its stinger and I go limp, foaming at the mouth. _Oh, this is some shit!_ The spider, Shelob I believe, catches me with its legs, weaving her cobwebs around my body like a cocoon. The only part of my body left bared is my face, the tightness of the web making it difficult to breathe. Before she could cover my face a sharp blade cuts the web and Shelob drops me to the hard, unforgiving ground. Brave Samwise stands in front of me, his little sword in one hand and the light I'd dropped in the other. "Let 'er go, you filth!" _Damn, go Sammy, go Sammy! Woo, kick ass!_ "You will not touch her again!" I couldn't respond out loud or give him any pointers due to the paralyzing agent in Shelob's venom, but I was cheering him on in my head! "Come on and finish it!"

He swings his sword upward, narrowly missing when Shelob rears up, her stinger dripping with venom that just might be Sam's doom as well as mine. Sam ducks under her legs, stabbing his sword into one of her eyes, making Shelob scream and green ooze to leak out of the wounded eye. She picks Sammy up using her hind legs, throwing him backwards. The moment he lands on the ground Shelob pounces. As she started to squat and squash him, Sam brings his blade up into the spider's belly.

The spider lurches away, writhing in pain. She races away back to her hole, leaving a trail of green ooze in her wake. Sammy comes over to me, kneeling at my side. "Andrea," he asks in a worried tone, ripping some of the web off my face. It was getting more difficult to breathe and my eyes felt like they were bulging out of my head. Apparently I looked how I felt because Sam's grave expression grew even more grim and terrified.

"Oh no, Andi!" He moves to support my head and it rolls lifelessly in his arms. _That's just great, I'm not only helpless, but I look like I'm dead. Highlight of my damn day!_ "Wake up. Don't leave me here alone," he whispers desperately. "Don't go where I can't follow. Wake up!" I continue staring up at him, my vision slowly dimming. "Not asleep... Dead."

And then I was unconscious, lost to a sea of darkness.


	15. The Passing of Denethor

ASHLEY

"Pull back," Gandy shouts," to the second level! Hurry, get the women and children out of here! Get them out!" I look worriedly around at the sea of people, knowing the upper levels weren't much better off than the first. "Ashley, you need to find safety! I don't need the Princess of Gondor dead before we can get your father on the throne."

"Well, I ain't no princess," I shrug with false nonchalance," and I'm as stubborn as my daddy, so you can bet your ass I'm gonna fight till I find my elf." He sighs with a smile, used to my little quirks at this point and knowing to just go with the flow. "Now, let's win this and make Sauron's ego little smaller!"

"Quickly, get on Shadowfax!" Not feeling nearly as comfortable on the white horse as I did on Thalion, I try to step back only to have Gandalf sit me in the saddle before climbing up himself. "Hold on tightly, Ashley, and try not to fall." I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his back, trying my best to ignore the pain racking my body as Gandalf gallops through the streets, calling for soldiers to retreat.

"Gandalf!" Gandy wheels us around on Shadowfax to face the small voice that belonged to no other than Pip. I cling to Gandy, swallowing back bile. Oh, this horse has it out for me. "Denethor has lost his mind! He's burning Faramir alive!" Gandy leans down and picks the Hobbit up and puts him in front of him on the horse. I reach around the wizard and place a comforting hand on Pip's shoulder, one of his hands covers mine and squeezing tightly.

We make it to the upper level when a large, gray monster lands on the ground in front of us, a black-clothed man on its back. The monster reminded me of a snake with its smooth skin, but it had wide leathery wings that were capable of knocking a man off his feet. The person on the Fell-beast's back wore strange armor that looked like tarnished silver, his armored hands gripping the reins tightly and marching the Fell-beast towards us even as Gandalf brings out his staff.

"Go back to the abyss," Gandy commands in a tone that brooked no arguments. "Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your master."

"Do you not know death when you see it, old man," the person questions in a deep tone. He draws a sword and raises it high, sounding smug. His helm made it impossible to see his face, and I wasn't sure I wanted to even if the helm wasn't there to shield my eyes. "This is my hour." Flames burst across the metal of his sword and a terrible screech leaves the Fell-beast's mouth, making Pip scream and me cover my ears. Gandalf's staff shatters into pieces, sending the three of us to the ground hard.

"Goddamn it," I rasp, my shoulder throbbing from me landing on it.

"You have failed. The world of men will fall."

"How about a message from all of us that live in the world of men?" I was standing now, holding up my pistol in shaky hands. I haven't had much of a chance to use it since coming here, so I have plenty of ammo and a great target to hit. "Go fuck yourself!" Before I could squeeze the trigger, the Nazgûl and Fell-beast fly off, seemingly hearing something I couldn't. "Why do I get the feeling that we're about to get it up the ass?" A horn sounds in the distance and I can see Gandalf smiling as Pippin helps him to his feet.

"Rohan is here," he tells me confidently. "We may just win this after all."

FELAGUND

Felagund glances around nervously, he was barely a man and already involved in one of the biggest wars in Middle-earth. Wouldn't his father be proud if he could see him? There are six thousand soldiers all together, not counting the little Hobbit that had been snuck in the ranks when the king was not looking. They could use all the men they could get considering Lord Aragorn, the elf, and the dwarf have gone into the mountain and most probably would not be returning. Barely a mile away was fifty thousand Orcs that they knew of and the men of Gondor.

He swallows thickly, a lump building in his throat and his stomach twisting in fear. If this was to be his last battle, then he would show bravery. His face was a mask of courage while inside was turmoil. The king gallops in front of the army, expression one of grim resolve.

"Arise," he shouts in a loud, clear voice," arise, Riders of Théoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered, a sword day, a red day 'ere the sun rises!" Sunlight floods down on the riders, bathing them in golden light. Felagund rests his hand on the hilt of his father's sword. Théoden rides along the long line of warriors, running his lance along his front line's spears, the noise loud and echoing. "Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world's ending!" He turns his horse to face the enemy. "Death!"

"Death," his army repeats loudly, charging forward after their King. The first volley of arrows knocks some soldiers off their horses, but misses Felagund by mere inches. The second volley kills the men on either side of him, but still he goes forward with the mask in place and his sword drawn. His horse is felled by an Orc warrior and he falls to the ground, taking the Orc with him in a tackle. His sword goes through the creature's throat, killing it, and Felagund moves to the next opponent.

ASHLEY

Shadowfax rears up and uses his hooves to kick the mausoleum doors wide open, shocking the guards and Denethor. He was standing over Faramir, thick oil trickling down his face while his men surrounded him, holding lit torches to drop on the piles of wood. "You set that man on fire and I'm breaking my boot off in your ass," I yell, making the guards back away quickly. Denethor roars, snatching up a torch and holding it aloft with a smug look.

"You may triumph in the field of battle for a day," he tells us darkly," but against the power that has risen in the east there is no victory." He drops the torch onto the pyre, the oil-coated wood going up in flames with a _whoosh_. Gandy gallops forward, using a spear he took from a guard to knock Denethor off his feet while Pippin and I drop onto the pyre. With a grunt, he and I work to move Faramir, rolling him off the pyre and onto the ground, patting his shirt until all flames had been extinguished. Denethor lets out an enraged shout as he gets back to his feet

"No! Do not take my son from me!" He runs to us, pushing and pulling to keep us away from Faramir in desperation, not even noticing as the fire quickly spreads to his soaked robes. I hit at him, trying to get him away before he burned us all alive, but I was in an awkward position with hardly any upper arm strength. Thankfully, Shadowfax rears up again and kicks Denethor back in the raging fire. Faramir's eyes open slightly as he watches his father burn. "Faramir..."

For just a second, sanity entered Denethor's gaze and he stared at his son with love. I cradle Faramir's head in my lap, swallowing back bile as the stink of burning flesh fills the room and Denethor scrambles off the pyre with a shout of agony. Still screaming, Denethor runs out of the tomb and off the edge of the level to his death hundreds of feet below, nothing more than a ball of flames.

"So passes Denethor, son of Ecthelion," Gandalf says solemnly.

FELAGUND

The enemy forces are fleeing as Felagund and the others attempt to drive them into the river. The joy of winning is quickly squashed when twenty Mûmakil are spotted in the distance, each of them carrying war towers filled to bursting with Haradrim archers. "Reform the line," Théoden commands," reform the line!" Felagund mounts a horse and joins the other riders, charging towards the new enemy.

The Mûmakil step on soldiers and their horses while their tusks swing back and forth, impaling any in their path. The archers send volley after volley of arrows raining down on the Rohirrim. Felagund grunts as he takes an arrow to the shoulder, adrenaline helping to mask the pain and enabling him to keep fighting despite the losing odds.

ASHLEY

Gandy, Pip, and I sit on a small porch, covered in sweat, grime, and blood. I heave a sigh, past the point no return. Asthma was as unforgiving as the enemy and it was beginning to take its toll, but I continue to ignore it in the hopes it'll just go away. "I didn't think it would end this way," Pippin says quietly.

"End," Gandy asks in a gentle voice. "No, the journey doesn't end here." Pippin and I look up at the old wizard in curiosity. "Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass..."

"I was kinda hoping to live 'til I was eighty, and even then, I wanna die peacefully in my sleep," I quip breathlessly. Gandy smiles, giving a shrug.

"Then perhaps you should find an empty room and get some rest." I laugh at that, pulling Pip close to me in a hug. _Boom_! Our heads turn as the wooden doors protecting us give a shudder under a particularly hard blow. "_Lay down_," Gandalf half-sings," _your sweet and weary head. Night is falling, you've come to journey's end. Sleep now and dream of the ones who came before_."

FELAGUND

Felagund stares up at the blue sky in wonder. Never had it seemed so beautiful before. He smiles, managing to ignore the mass of arrows buried in his body as he focuses on the sight before him, his last one in this realm. As the life leaves his eyes, he begins to see things he'd never thought he'd see again: his mother, young daughter, and his baby brother. They grinned at him, beckoning for him to come to them.

"Just relax, my baby boy," his mother's sweet voice cooed," relax and it will all be over. No more war, no more ruin. Just peace and your family for the rest of your days."

And then Felagund was no longer in Middle-earth but in a great, green country surrounded by all his loved ones that he'd thought lost forever.

KHARL

"Late as usual," an Orc shouts at the ship our group had commandeered. "Get off your ships, you seas rats! There's knife work here needs doing." Aragorn leaps over the edge of the leading ship, landing on the docks with Gimli, Leggy, and I following behind him, charging at the Orcs with our weapons ready.

"There's plenty for the both of us," Gimli growls to Leggy as the rush of battle hits us. The ghost army charges out behind us, yelling and no doubt making the Orcs scared beyond belief. The Orcs scream, trying to retreat as we crash into them, slaying as many as we could. With five thousand ghosts on our sides, it would be an easy battle. The Giant Elephant thingies will probably be the hardest thing to take care of.

It was easy to finish with the small group waiting for the ships, then we moved on to the larger battle happening just outside the gates of Gondor. _Ash is in there somewhere_. The gates to the city have been smashed open and Orcs were swarming around there, screaming curses at the people trying to defend themselves. With a growl, I run my sword through the neck of one of the human soldiers on the ground, not even stopping to make sure he was dead before moving on to the next.

"Legolas," Aragorn shouts as the Elephants grow closer. Stopping only long enough to figure out a way up, the elf sprints forward and grabs ahold of one of the tusks, climbing up to the strange saddle on top of its head to kill the humans inside before bringing the Elephant down with a few arrows. It narrowly misses me as it falls to the ground, the ground shaking beneath its weight.

"That still only counts as one," Gimli snaps. Ghosts climb up the rest of the Elephants' sides, bringing them and their riders down with barely any effort. Soon enough the battle is over and I've barely broken a sweat.

* * *

Ash leans heavily against me for support as we all watch Aragorn walk across the field to the Ghost King. "Release us," the king demands.

"Bad idea," Gimli advises quietly," very handy in a tight spot, these lads, despite the fact they're dead!"

"You gave us your word!"

"I hold your oath fulfilled," Aragorn nods. "Go, be at peace." Slowly, the army dissolves into dust and are swept away in the wind.

"You fought with ghosts," Ash asks in disbelief.

"Yup," I nod.

"Was it as awkward as it looked?"

"Oh yeah."


	16. Freed Captives

ANDREA

I squint around me, everything blurry right now until I blink a few times. When I can see where I am it makes me wish things were blurry again. _I'm in the Orc tower!_ An Orc and Uruk-Hai are fighting over my iPod, the little device—as Ash would say—deader than the Stark family. "Hey, hands off! That shiny thing is mine," the Uruk-Hai growls.

"It's going to the Great Eye, along with everything else," the Orc replies. I roll my eyes, my bound hands going to my neck out of instinct to clutch at the Ring…. Except it's not there anymore. _Oh shit, this ain't good!_ I struggle against my bonds as subtly as I can, chewing at the rope that binds my hands, but a toothless rat had a better chance at gnawing through this crap. _Ugh, it tastes so bad!_ I was nearly ready to sob in frustration when a fight breaks out between the Orcs and Uruk-Hais below. I struggle harder than ever as a ferocious noise below signals the Uruk-Hai seem to be winning.

"Oh God, this can't be happening right now! Where are my damn shoes," I scream at the top of my lungs, throwing my head back.

"Stop your screaming, you dunghill rat," an Orc growls, drawing a sword and pointing it at me. "I'm gonna bleed you like a stuck pig!" Another sword pierces through his armor and out of his chest before he could do any such thing.

"Not if I stick you first," Sammy states, pushing the Orc away.

"Sammy," I shout in relief, almost ready to cry at the mere sight of him. "You're alive! You're alive and you're deadly!" Sammy uses his blade to cut me free, pulling me to my feet.

"Come on," he says urgently when I just stand where I am, looking at him in disbelief and shame.

"It's too late, they took the Ring while I was unconscious." Sam gives me a cheeky smile, pulling out a familiar object from his pocket, holding it aloft for me to see. The Ring, Sammy's had it all this time! "You wouldn't happen to have my shoes in there too, would ya?" I take the Ring from him and slip the chain over my head, the Ring itself resting in the hollow of my throat.

"Sorry, Andi, but I found these boots in that pile O' stuff over in the corner." I pull the boots on, hoping I don't get any foot fungus from them. "Now come on, we'd best get out of here while we still can." We disguise ourselves in Orc gear before sneaking out, figuring it to be the safer path, before sneaking out of the watchtower past dying beasts.

"Ugh, this armor stinks."

"Well, it's had a dead man in it." I seriously wish Sam was kidding, but I knew from the funky stains that he was as honest as ever.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch when I sent you away."

"I'm here now, Andi, and I'm not leaving you again." He smiles up at me as we continue to walk, patting my arm. We stop on a peak, gazing ahead at the mountain in Mordor as it spits ash and lava high into the air. _I'm pretty sure that's a safety violation_. "We did it, Andi, we made it into Mordor." Sam and I share a hesitant look before striking out once more for our destination, closer to it than ever before. Hundreds of fires burn on the plains below us, Orc camps and a mine field for the two of us. There must be over a thousand. How the heck are we supposed to sneak past them to Mount Doom? My eye is drawn away from the camp to a large black shape where a red light is emanating from, sweeping over the fields.

"It's the Eye," I whisper to Sam. Sammy looks at me confused for a moment before shrugging my statement off.

"We have to go in there, Andi. There's nothing for it. Come on, let's just make it down the hill for starters." I let out a childish whine, but follow the Hobbit's example and start down the steep path into the camp.

"I'm gonna get shanked by one of these bastards, I just know it."


	17. Dress in Drag and do the Hula

ASHLEY

"Andrea has passed beyond my sight," Gandy informs us and I give a sigh of relief that my best friend is alive, resting my forehead on Haldir's shoulder. "The darkness is deepening." Aragorn has his back turned to the rest of us, nervously shifting from one foot to the other the way I do when I have to do public speaking. I bet his heart's pounding ninety miles a minute too, just like the rest of us. The air in the room is thick and you could very nearly cut it with a knife.

"If Sauron had the Ring we would know it," Aragorn says.

"It's only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor, our enemy is regrouping." Gimli slouches in the steward's chair, his battle ax in hand. "Ten thousand Orcs now stand between Andrea and Mount Doom. I've sent her to her death."

"Trust me," I remark quietly," she's already coming up with a battle plan on how to get past those ugly bastards without them even knowing it. That's how she wins all those video games _and _how she became a cop. She'll get through okay, but she might need a distraction just in case. Now, who's ready to dress in drag and do the hula?"

"Sis, I don't think they understand," Kharl quips with raised brows.

"Uncultured swine."

"My daughter's strange comments aside," Aragorn asserted," there is still hope as long as Andrea has safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can get her that."

"We can?"

"We can as long as we draw out Sauron's armies. We will empty his lands, then gather our full strength and march the Black Gate." _Kind of wish we still had our army of Caspers to fight with us right now_.

"We can't achieve victory through strength of arms," Éomer advises.

"No, but Andrea will have her chance to destroy the Ring as long as we keep Sauron's Eye on us.

"Certainty of death," Gimli says from around his pipe," small chance of success. What are we waiting for?"

"I've always wanted to say I help defeat the Dark Lord," I whisper to Kharl, my brother nodding along with a smile. "Hey, where's he going?" Aragorn had just walked out of the room with a determined set to his jaw and Gandalf gives me a knowing smile.

"To ready our diversion," he answers.

"Oh shit, he's gonna go talk to Sauron's bowling ball, isn't he?"


	18. Sauron's Mouth and Jewelry Refunds

ANDREA

Sam and I slide down a steep bank, landing just shy of the road, my head beginning to throb as the Ring's voice starts whispering in my head again. Below us, thousands of Orcs marching away from Mount Doom.

"Look at the Orcs," Sam whispers in an excited voice. "They're moving off. You see, Andi, some luck at last." With my lips pressed into a firm line, I nod and signal for us to continue moving across the dry, volcanic rock. Mordor is a dark and dismal place, the smell one of sulfur from the volcano. Marching footsteps and shouted orders draw our attention towards the company of Orcs headed our way down the road.

"Sammy, you still got your fancy cloak," I ask as we back up hurriedly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because we're gonna need it to get past those guys." We huddle close together and Sam covers us with the cloak right as the army marches past, one of the Orcs holding a whip looking right at us for a second before continuing on. We don't move until we can't see the group, Sam and I letting out relieved breaths as he pushes the cloak off.

"That was too close for comfort." I nod in agreement, struggling to stand under the heavy armor before helping Sam up as well, making sure his cloak was hidden in his pack. I don't understand how he's doing this with hardly a complaint, sure the Ring is heavy and it's rubbing my neck raw, but he's got a heavy pack on his back and has had it since we left Rivendell.

"Do want me to carry your pack for a while?" He looked shocked that I asked, only making me feel guiltier about it all. All these months we've been together and I've rarely ever helped him in anything, and it made me feel like the scum of the earth.

"Course not, Andrea." He shakes his head, walking the way the Orcs had come from. "I've got my pack and you've got the Ring." I follow after him, respect bubbling in my chest for all the Hobbits involved with our quest, even Frodo who had stayed behind to care for his uncle. They may not look like much, but Hobbits would outlast all of us in the long run, kind of like the Dodos. _Okay, not the greatest example, but they did outlive all the characters from Ice Age_.

ASHLEY

Adar rides at the head of our army, leading all of us through the ruins of Osgiliath. Rohirrim and Gondorian soldiers alike joined under one banner, ready to give my friend a chance to end this war once and for all. Gandy, Leggy, Gimli, Éomer, Merry, Pippin, Kharl, Haldir, and I ride directly behind Adar towards the dark mountains of Mordor. It's going to be one hell of a battle and I probably won't make it through in one piece, but nothing could stop the excitement I feel at actually doing something to held Andrea.

"So you don't even know what the hula is," I ask Haldir. The elf gives me a _what do you think_ look. "I guess I'll have to remedy that if we survive."

"We will," he assures me, astride his own horse now instead of sharing with me. I missed his warmth, the feel of his strong arms wrapped around me, and the saddle felt too big without Haldir settled behind me. "I'll not lose you this far along." I smile over at him, using one hand to steer Thalion and the other to grasp one of Haldir's.

"I love you, Elf."

"And I you, Dúnadan." He gives my hand one more squeeze before returning his to the reins while mine dropped to the hilt of my new sword. Well, it wasn't actually new, it was the one Adar used before Elrond gave him a new one. It was the sword he used as a Ranger and it was currently sheathed and tied to Thalion's saddle, close at hand so I could draw it if I needed to.

Before giving up, they'd tried to lock me in my room, but I created a rope ladder out of sheets and dresses. After that, they had Faramir sit on me while they readied the horses, but he's as ticklish as his brother was. In the end, Aragorn had just tied his old sword to the saddle and lifted me up into it, telling me to stay close to my friends or him during the battle.

ANDREA

The ground was uneven at the best of times as we continue to make our way across an open field, the volcano keeping the air hot and the rocks even hotter. It didn't help that the armor I wore made it feel like I was being cooked alive. I don't know how much longer I can do this. The human body wasn't made to survive the harsh things I've gone through and I would have a long recovery time if I ever finished.

My foot catches on one of the larger stones, sending me straight to the ground. "Andi," Sam calls, running back for me. "Are you alright?" I let out a long groan, lying face-down and not moving. "Come on, you have to get up."

"Do I really gotta?"

**_On our way, Andi_**. Ashley's voice fills my head and I look up at Sam with a tiny spark of hope. He'd heard it, too; I could tell that from the smile sprouting on his own face. **_Take care of my sister, Sammy. I'll be very upset if something happens to her_**. I couldn't hear Sam's thought back to her and she didn't respond, but to know she was coming to help lifted part of the crushing loneliness off of my shoulders.

"Come on, then," Sam says again, helping me up to my feet. "We just need to go straight that way and all of this will just be a bad dream. First things first, let's get rid of this armor."

"I couldn't agree more, Sammy." We remove the armor as quickly as we can, tossing it and Sam's pack over the edge of the cliff before continuing on for a few more hours. I find myself sitting slumped against a rock, shivering slightly now that I was only in my light shirt, breeches, and stolen boots.

"Look." I follow Sam's gaze up to the sky, the rust-colored clouds drifting away just enough to reveal the nighttime sky and a single star. "There's light and beauty up there that no shadow can touch." But it was hard to keep my eyes open and I soon found myself fast asleep with my head on Sammy's shoulder.

ASHLEY

We stop about a half mile from the gates of Mordor, the bleak landscape giving off an air of depression. I give Kharl a worried look that he returns. Andrea is in there somewhere and she might need a whole lot more help than we can give her. "Maybe I should have brought the grass skirts after all," I muse absently," you know, just to keep the morale up."

ANDREA

Desperate for a drink, I tilt my water skin over my mouth only to have nothing come out and throw it as far as I can. "Take mine," Sam says, holding out his water skin. "There's a few drops left." I take it gratefully, taking a small sip before giving it back. My throat was dry and burning for more, but I knew we had to ration it. It's the only clean water we have left. "You should have more if you want to keep going at the pace we are."

"We need to save it for the journey back home." Sam looks up at me, the hope he had a few days ago vanished, replaced by a resolve to live until he couldn't anymore.

"I don't think there will be a return journey." He and I make eye contact and a silent acknowledgment passing between us. We both knew that we might not even live long enough to complete our mission, but I so badly wanted to see the fresh innocence back in Sammy's eyes. Sam stands up, tying his water skin to his belt before offering me a hand up. I accept his help gratefully, stumbling along after Sam and hoping that I can keep on my feet longer than I have been on this uneven terrain.

"If anyone can survive this, then it'll be us, Sammy." My right hand rises to hold the Ring, its weight forcing the chain into my neck and rubbing it raw. To top it all off, I feel a blow—like being backhanded—come from my left side, my hand coming up to defend myself a moment too late.

"_Andrea_," that sinister voice hisses. "_Andrea_!"

"Andrea, get down," Sam shouts, dropping down to get out of the Eye's path. I turn to face it, the red of it as sinister as the landscape and the voice in my head. The moment the red light hits me I collapse, unable to control my body.

ASHLEY

"Where are they," Pip asks in a wary voice. Our rag-tag group of warriors gallop forwards at Gandy's nod, towards the Black Gate. _We're coming, Andi, I promise_.

"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth," Adar calls out when we stop again. "Let justice be done upon him!" Behind the gate we can hear rhythmic chanting and the clanging armor of thousands. The gate begins to open—the sound of metal scraping against metal—as we look on in trepidation. A single Orc rides out to greet us, it's lips barley more than thin black lines drawn back from rotting teeth.

"My master, Sauron the Great, bids the welcome," it says in a deep rasping voice. The helmet it wore cover all of its head except its mouth and I could see Adar giving it the same nauseated nonplused look that I was. "Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?"

"It's more along the lines that we don't negotiate with terrorists," I remark, gaining the Orc's attention. "Plus, offense intended, you look like something from The Hills Have Eyes, so I'm not sure if I want to talk or put a spear through your face and end your misery." Gandalf takes over and doesn't even glare at me this time, in fact, the old man actually looks on in amusement.

"Tell you master this," Gandalf states firmly," the armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return."

"Old gray beard," the Orc responds. "I have a token I was bidden to show thee." It holds up a tattered looking iPod, the black screen cracked and the metal casing dented. I have to bite my tongue to keep from gloating that my friend was still alive.

"Can I just shoot this asshole yet," I growl, narrowing my brown eyes into a hateful glare.

"I see now that the woman was dear to thee. My master wanted you to know that she died after going through agonizing torture. She died screaming." Its head is focused in my direction, taking in the tears that slipped free at even the thought of Andrea and Sammy being tortured. "The princess's tears feed my master."

"Tell your master I'm coming to repay the favor." Adar urges Brego to move forward a couple of feet, putting himself slightly between me and the monster.

"Who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a king than a broken elvish blade." Adar continues riding forward, the rage burning in his grey eyes the only thing to show that the creature's words had hit their mark. Before it had a chance to react, Andúril was drawn and the creature's head was rolling on the ground.

"Well, that's one way to shut his fat mouth." The gates open wider and the screeching sound the gears made hurt my ears. As the Orc army begins to march out, we gallop back to our own army—pathetic compared to the Orcs. I look back over my shoulder, noticing the red Eye swiveling in our direction, and I smile.

Our plan was working thus far.

ANDREA

My eyes snap open once I have control back, the red light no longer on me, but distracted by something closer to the gates. "It's gone," Sam tells me with a breath of solace. He crawls over to me, not taking a chance in case the light comes back as I look at him in dazed silence. "The light's passed on, away towards the north. Something's drawn its gaze."

"Yeah," I nod," our buddies are here like Ash promised." I look up at Sam, sitting up slowly. "Let's go make them proud." The both of us stagger to our feet and begin walking once more. Always walking, never resting... Always so tired.

ASHLEY

The massive army marches towards us, some of our men wavering and backing away. It's too late though, even if they run the Orcs will hunt them down and kill them. Adar gallops to the very front to address the entire army. "Hold your ground! Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take me." He looks at all of us, his pupils dilating from the thrill of war. "A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down. But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth I bid you stand!" He holds Andúril above his head. "Men of the West!"

ANDREA

Sam and I scale the face of Mount Doom, the sharp, jagged rock cutting my hands and torso, the heat leaving burns. Red lightening streaks through the sky, followed shortly after by thunder—four seconds, the lightening is four miles away. I let out a gasping shout as I fall forward onto my knees, the rock digging in and ruining my pants even more with ash and blood. Sam drops next to me, trying to help me up, but I feel so weak. I just want to rest, to sleep.

Slowly, I raise my head to look up, the simple action taking more energy than it should have under normal circumstances. I look up at the mountain, at the lava hardened rock and ash. Sam turns me onto my back, cradling my head in his arms.

ASHLEY

"If this ends badly," Kharl tells me, swallowing hard," and you somehow make it back to our world, do me a favor and tell my son I didn't abandon him." I look over at my brother, seeing the pain in his eyes. It made my chest ache to see him so downtrodden, and it hurt even worse to know that the baby's mom probably told him that his dad didn't care.

"Only if you promise to tell my parents how much I loved them."

"Deal."

ANDREA

"Have you ever seen the Shire, Andi," he asks in a desperate attempt to keep me focused. I manage to shake my head, all the smoke surrounding me and the heat making it difficult to breathe. "It'll be spring soon and the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. They'll be sowing summer barely in the lower fields and eating the first of the strawberries with cream." He pauses to look down at me. "I'll bet I could melt some sweetened chocolate for you to dip the strawberries in."

"How could I say no to that," I murmur, eyes barely opened to look up at my friend. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess." I would have cried if it were possible, and my chest heaved like I was sobbing anyway. "God, the eye won't leave me alone. It keeps looking at me like I'm a prime steak and it's a predator."

"Then let's be rid of it once and for all! Come on, Andi, I can't carry it for you…." He picks me up in his arms, easily holding my emaciated frame. "But I can carry you!" His soft face hardens with resolve as he carries me up the mountain and I feel so bad that I can't do anything to help ease this burden from his shoulders.

ASHLEY

The Orcs surround us on all sides and Adar raises his sword in a broad sweep as he walks forward and turns to face us. "For Andrea," he says softly. He turns again to face the enemy and charges forward with a shout of fury. I give my own battle yell, running forward with the others, my sword out of its scabbard and in my hand in a single fluid motion.

ANDREA

With me on his back, Sam slowly but surely begins the ascent up Mount Doom. Strong winds whip at us on either side, carrying ash with it and driving the substance down our throats. The ground below is hidden by clouds and fog, and we both start when the mountain trembles, red flame exploding up into the sky. It could blow at any time and that thought made me uneasy.

"Look, Andi! We're almost there!" I do look up at Sam's urging and I'm able to make out the doorway carved into the mountainside, glowing from the lava inside of it. I let out a breathless laugh, joy flooding my senses. Out of nowhere, something crashes into us, sending Sam and I to the ground._ It's Gollum, he survived the fall!_ The deformed Hobbit crawls on top of me, wrapping his hands around my throat and squeezing.

I dig my nails into Gollum's hands, trying to pry them off so I could get oxygen, but his grip is too strong and I am too weak at this point. A rock flies from the left, striking Gollum's head and stunning him enough that Sam can tackle him to the ground.

ASHLEY

I scream as an Orc blade manages to open a deep cut above my eye, beheading the creature soon thereafter. The battle was worse than I thought it would be and I was nearly out of energy. But I fought on, ignoring my asthma, ignoring my aches and pains, ignoring everything but the Orcs I'm fighting. Nothing mattered if Andi didn't destroy the Ring. We'd all be killed if she fails and this is the least I can do if it means she gets a brief respite from the constant worry of Orc soldiers.

High overhead, Nazgûl fly on their Fell-beasts, picking men off by two's and three's.

ANDREA

Taking the opportunity given to me by Sam, I sneak away on up the mountain towards the opening. The was path hard and the Ring was resting in my hand instead of around my neck as it had been since our journey started. My bones ached and my breathing was ragged, but I continue onwards as my mum and dad would want me to. I could see them in my mind's eye, cheering me on like they did when I played basketball in college.

_You can do it!_ My mum would yell, waving her arms and giving me a huge smile. _You can beat them__!_ Dad would shout, yelling insults at Gollum the entire time as I climbed. The thought of them enough to spur me on.

ASHLEY

Giant Eagles have joined the fray now, attacking the Fell-beasts and their riders, giving us a break. "The Eagles are coming," I hear Pip shout from a few feet away. "The Eagles are coming!" All he's missing is some period clothing and a lantern, and he could be a miniature Paul Revere!

I laugh, sticking an Orc in the belly before moving on to the next and the next after that, trying to help Pip as best I could while Haldir helped Merry. We might just win this thing after all.

ANDREA

"Andrea," I hear Sammy shout. I stare down at the river of lave flowing below, the place I was expected to throw the Ring and destroy it. I am so close, yet the Ring feels as though it's stuck in my palm and doesn't want to part with me.

"I'm over here, Sam," I mumble, gaze switching from the lava to the gold piece of jewelry in my hand The heat inside the volcano makes sweat drench my clothes and drip into my eyes, but I pay it no heed. I hold the Ring over the chasm, willing myself to unclench my fingers and be rid of the damn thing once and for all.

"Destroy it! Go on! Throw it in the fire!" I don't look at Sam, I don't have to in order to know his expression is desperate and pleading, just like his voice. "What are you waiting for?! Just let it go!" The Ring's soft hum grows louder in my ears until it sounds like angry bees. I pull the Ring away and closer to me, holding it like a mother would her infant child.

"It's mine," I hiss, ripping it off the chain and sliding it on my finger.

"No!"


	19. The War is Won

ANDREA

Invisible, I walk past Sam towards the cavern's exit, but Gollum jumps at me, knocking me to the ground. Shrieking, I claw at Gollum frantically as he sits on my back. _I have to protect the Ring! I have to protect the precious!_ I roll so that I am on top, drawing my fists back and pummeling him with all the strength I can muster. _He wouldn't have it! I won't let him take it from me. It's mine, my own, my precious!_

Gollum grabs my fist that bears the Ring and bites hard, the shock of pain making me regain my senses. I bite back, the copper tang of blood filling my mouth along with two of Gollum's fingers. He lurches back, hitting his head against the ground. With him slightly dazed from pain, I stand up and bring my foot down hard on his face until I'm sure he's unconscious, spitting out his digits and blood.

"Asshole," I gasp, running over to Sam, who's just beginning to come to. "It'll be alright, Sammy," I promise, removing the Ring," I'm back and better than ever."

KHARL

I let out a yell when I see Ashley's body lying on the ground, sprinting to her and cradling her in my arms. She was still breathing, but only faintly. Her chest was barely moving under the heavy chainmail shirt she was in. Quickly, I set about removing the chainmail but trying to leave her shirt in place to keep others, not to mention myself, from seeing her chest. It was a Jack Sparrow moment of clarity that made me do it, realizing the heavy garment was hindering her.

A great stomping sound that shakes the earth makes me look up in the middle of my chore, a giant troll stomping its way through the battle and towards me. Not pausing to think, I grab Ash and carry her like a sack of potatoes through the battle, one hand wrapped around my sister's knees and the other supporting my sword, I stop to fight only when I have to.

ANDREA

"Watch out," Sam cries as Gollum jumps on me again, stealing the Ring out of my hand and beginning to dance around near the edge of the crest we were on. I glare at him, my anger boiling over at all he's caused. Rising slowly, I leave Sam on the ground and approach Gollum, kicking him square in the stomach and forcing him over the edge into the lava below, taking the Ring with him.

I collapse on the ground, glad to finally be rid of the damn thing. "We did it, Sammy, we destroyed it!"

KHARL

Terrible sounds issue from Mordor, all eyes drawn to the place. The Trolls sprint off in fear of the noises, which makes me nervous for the simple matter of them being way bigger than I am and whatever scares them is probably even worse of me. I look down at my sister, having gotten her mail off but unable to staunch her head wound.

It is deep and crusted with dirt, bleeding profusely and worse than any injury she's ever had. "It's over, Ash," I tell her as Sauron's dark tower crumbles into a pile of smoking rumble. "Andi's done it, we've won!" The Black Gate crumbles next, the Orcs fleeing in all directions as I sit and watch Mount Doom erupts, the ground crumbling in a near-perfect circle around us to swallow the Orcs and monsters.

_We may have won, but Sam and Andrea could never have survived that_.

ANDREA

Sam and I stagger out of the exit, dodging lava and flying debris, a blast of hot air throwing us on a large slab of rock. From above, Nazgûl fall, balls of flame and screams of agony until they hit the ground with enough force to kill anything. The ground shakes violently under us as the rock we're on floats out into a river of lava.

"It's finally over," I smile, exhausted.

"Yes," Sammy nods, relaxing on his back. "It's done with." I close my eyes to keep them from stinging in the heat, finally at rest.

"I can see my home... The rolling fields of my farm, grassy and full of places to explore. My mum and dad, and my sisters. Lemon fried chicken…"

"Rosie Cotton dancing," Sam reminisces," she had ribbons in her hair." I look over at my friend, taking his hand in mine as he starts to cry. "If I ever was to marry someone…. It would have been her…. It would have been her." I pull him close to me, resting my cheek against the top of his head as he continues to sob.

"I couldn't have done this without you, Sammy. I'm glad to have you here even though I did kind of lose it back there." We share a tear filled smile before I close my eyes again, waiting for death to come for me.

ASHLEY

When I open my eyes, I'm no longer on the battlefield but in a large room on a bed. I look around me, still in the stage of half-sleep where everything is strange and out of place. Everything is done up in white and gold, and the sunlight streaming in from the open balcony doors makes me wince. Could this place be any damn brighter?

"Where the hell?" I sit up slowly, almost not able to on my own as a searing pain runs the length of my right side. "What happened?"

"You were thrown by a Fell-beast." My head snaps to the right where Adar is sitting on the edge of my bed. "You were also cut by an Orc blade here." He touches my forehead above my left eye. "And Kharl accidentally cut open your ride side while trying to remove your chainmail so you could breathe easier." Nodding, I rest against the head board and soft pillows, contemplating everything.

"The others, are they okay?"

"Perfectly fine. The only one we're waiting on now that you're awake is Andrea." I swallow past a lump in my throat and blink back the tears. "She'll be fine too, you know. She's too stubborn to do anything but hold on, just like you." I smile at that, snuggling up next to him for warmth. It's so cold in the room that I had begun to shiver. "You should get some more rest. I'll come find you when Andrea wakes up. I'm sure Haldir would be happy to come in here and keep you warm, Lariel."

"Oh, I'm sure he would." My reply is muffled by a yawn and soon I'm back in Dream Ville, a place where talking pickles rule and that damn Ring never happened.

ANDREA

The last thing I expected to do was wake up, let alone wake up to the sound of soft snores. I open my eyes to see the cause of the snoring, wincing in the harsh sunlight that filtered in through gauzy white curtains. Sitting on a bench across from the bed I'm lying on are Ashley and Kharl, leaning their backs against each other with their mouths hanging wide open. I was kind of hoping to see a topless Aragorn sitting on the edge of my bed and holding a tray of chocolate covered strawberries, but no, I get two geeks snoring and drooling all over themselves.

"That's attractive," I quip, sitting up. Ash's eyes snap open at the sound of my voice and she jumps up, leaving poor Kharl to fall backwards and then roll onto the floor.

"You're alive," she shouts, pouncing on the bed and pulling me into a bone crushing hug. At her loud-mouthed cry, Aragorn and all the others run into the room, leaving Kharl to sleep on the floor. He doesn't even twitch when Pip and Merry step on him in order to climb onto the bed. Sam follows soon after, pulling me into an even tighter hug than Ashley had. All of them start talking at once, the overlapping voices drowning out Kharl's snores.

I laugh, bantering with Ashley, flirting with Aragorn, and playing I-spy with the Hobbits, while I tease Gimli and Legolas' friendship. I had missed all of this and it was what I looked forward to in the beginning part of the journey to Mordor. It was also all Sam would talk about back then until the hopelessness had kicked in.

"I've missed you so much," Aragorn tells me when the others leave, dragging Kharl behind them. "I dreamed of the day I would see you again, now I dream of the day you become my Queen and rule at my side."

"With one condition."

"And what's that?"

"I ain't calling Ashley my daughter. That would be weird on so many levels that it ain't even funny!" He chuckles, hugging me close and allowing me to rest my head against his broad chest. I had a few scrapes and cuts in places, a scar around my index finger where Gollum had bit me, and pale scar from getting pumped full of Shelob's venom, but was unmarked other than those. "I missed you so much."

"And I you." I could make out faint whispering from the other side of the door, sharing and amused look with Aragorn as he held a finger up to his lips. With stealth that could put a Ninja to shame, he rises from the bed and tiptoes across the room to the door, grinning broadly as he throws it open with no notice. Kharl falls forward with two Hobbits and Ashley landing on top of him, three of the four looking sheepish.

"I was looking for my contacts," Ashley tries as she sets up on her elbows. I raise my eyebrows, staring at her until she gave in and smiled. "Alright, I was making sure my dear old—and I mean _old_—dad here made sure to tell you how great I was at keeping him celibate."

"She was the best birth control I could hope for."


	20. A Long Journey Ended

***~Three Days Later—the Crowning Ceremony~***

On the utmost level of Minas Tirith, I watch with a crowd of four thousand others as Aragorn and Ashley are crowned as King and Princess of Gondor. The fact that Ash was conned into wearing a bright, white dress was funny enough to make me have to sit and laugh for five minutes.

Her dress was made of velvet and had silver strands sewn across the bosom in a crisscrossing design, on her head rests a silver circlet with an amethyst stone in the center of it, the silver that goes around her head braided together, and the silver that rested just under the stone was twined into an elaborate design of swirls. Her hair fells in soft waves to the center of her back, the red highlights more pronounced under direct sunlight, and the standing out in stark relief against her freckled skin.

My own dress was a dark blue, made of velvet like Ashley's except less elaborate in its design, the finishing touch being a belt around my waist made of small silver disks that hung loosely to my knees. Aragorn was dressed in simple clothes, but they were completely hidden under his silver armor, chainmail, and black cloak.

Gandy places the Crown of Gondor of Aragorn's head saying," Now come the days of the King. May they be blessed." Aragorn slowly rises, turning to face the cheering crowd.

"This day does not belong to one man or woman," Aragorn says in his public speaking voice," but to all. Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace." The people attending the ceremony cheered again, but go quiet as he starts to sing in Elvish. "_Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta_ **(1)**."

Ashley puts her hand in the crook of his elbow as they start down the short stairs to level ground, walking in a slow procession down the white path as the people bow their heads in respect for their new rulers. They pass friends: Éowyn and Faramir, Éomer, Legolas and a few other Elves, Gimli, Elrond, but he pauses in front of me.

I come forward and wrap my arms around Aragorn's neck, letting him swing me in a circle and kiss me in front of everyone. I was willing to let him do just about anything as long as I never had to lose him again. When he sets me down on my feet again I notice Ashley has grabbed Haldir out of the crowd and was kissing him as well, her hands holding onto the front of his shirt. It was a comical sight to see shy Ashley committing PDA in front of her kingdom.

Aragorn breaks the pair of them apart when it doesn't look like they're gonna come up for air any time soon and we continue on our way until we reach three little Hobbits. They go to bow their heads, but Aragorn stops them.

"My friends," he tells them in a voice the showed how much respect he had for them," you bow to no one." He drops to one knee in front of them, everyone one else doing the same a second later while the Hobbits stood where they were, looking dumbfounded and in awe.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly when I stepped out onto the silk fabric that ran the length of the courtyard to the alter waiting at the end. Ashley had taken care of most of the arrangements, including who would walk me down the aisle to Aragorn. Faramir looks a bit uncomfortable in the fancy clothes he was forced into at knife point, but the awkwardness is beat out by the pride he feels at the honor. All the attendants sit in chairs on either side of the aisle, dressed in their finest with baskets of white rose petals on their laps.

I hold tightly to the bouquet of flowers in my left hand while my right was clutching Faramir's arm. The white fabric of my dress was light and easy to walk in, the back trailing slightly behind me; black lace curled in intricate patterns on my bottom of my dress, the elbows, the end of the sleeves, and the neck. It was beautiful and carefully made so that the heat wouldn't be too much to bear. Ash and I had thought it all out over lunch a few weeks back and decided that silk and a little bit of velvet would be the best choice in the almost unbearable heat of a Gondorian summer.

_We were definitely right about that!_

Fighting not to show how nervous I actually felt, I wear a mask of cool confidence as I get closer and closer to Aragorn, Ashley playing the piano softly to one side of the alter. Her dress would make many woman attending blush and whisper; it was emerald green with a paler green sash tied about her waist, the dress itself stopped a little under her knees and is only a few inches longer than the one I intend to wear to her wedding in a month.

"Are you alright," Faramir asks in a soft voice that only he and I could hear," you look a little pale."

"I'm fine," I answer stiffly, straightening my back ever so slightly. Faramir chuckles, walking quicker, not so much that it was obvious, but enough so that we'll get where we're going sooner. The sooner this ceremony is over and the honeymoon begins, the better!

Aragorn smiles at me as I come nearer, dressed in similar clothes as he wore at the crowning ceremony weeks ago. Unconsciously, I bite my lip as we come closer and closer to what I've been looking forward to since I was four and learned what a wedding was. Step. The music was growing fainter. Step. I take a deep breath, taking Aragorn's offered hand as I stand next to him and the music stops completely.

Gandalf stands before us, staff in one hand and a large book in the other. Marriages were slightly different in Middle-earth, but Ash had taken care of the big differences and had them replaced with the ones from our world. For instance, this wouldn't take as long as in our world, but it still touches on the basics of my religion.

Aragorn and I turn to face each other and I slide his ring on his finger, a simple gold band with a diamond in the center and two sapphires on either side of it in the shape of stars. The ring he puts on my finger is silver with upraised silver designs on either side of a sapphire cut in an oval shape.

"I now pronounce you man and wife, may your days together be long and filled with joy and laughter." Aragorn bends down to place a lingering kiss on my lips, his mouth soft against mine and tasting of honeyed wine. _So I'm not the only one nervous_. When we break apart, the flower petals come raining down, and we're swept into the Citadel's great hall for the celebration and dancing. I smile up at Aragorn, letting him lead the way in our couple's dance. Ashley was singing up on a small stage, giving me something familiar to dance to so that I wasn't completely lost.

This was nice, just swaying back and forth with the man of my dreams. He had his hands resting lightly on my hips, ever the gentlemen as he doesn't allow them to drop any further. "I love you," I smile, my arms wrapped loosely around his neck.

"And I love you."

_Dance me to your beauty like a burning violin/Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in/Lift me like an olive branch, be my homeward dove/And dance me to the end of love_

ASHLEY

I had told everyone that I wanted a simple, little ceremony—no muss, no fuss, and certainly not the thousand or so people gathered outside to see me walk down the aisle. Andrea had been behind part of it, telling the tailors to make my dress a nice, bright white with a black, lace pattern on the front of the skirt and inside the billowy sleeves. It was beautiful, more so than I thought it would be when she was describing it to me and showing me rough sketches. The dress was made complete by the almost hidden scabbard meant for my dagger. I never left the Citadel without it since I considered it my good luck charm.

"Are you ready," Adar asks, placing my hand in the crook of his arm with a gentle, encouraging smile. He had no problem with this, having so recently had his own wedding with Daisy walking Andi to him since her father wasn't here_. Imagine Tom's shock to find out that his little girl was now a Queen!_ Biting my lip, I give Aragorn a nod and, together, we begin the agonizingly slow march towards the alter and my elf waiting there.

Andi and the rest of the Fellowship stand off to the side of the alter, Andi dressed in a pale lilac dress that stopped just below her knees with a scabbard occupied by a dagger that Aragorn had given her as a wedding gift. Soft music plays in the background, matching the pace Adar and I had set.

"I'm nervous," I whisper to Adar, clutching his arm tighter. He looks down at me with another kind smile, leaning down to whisper in my ear.

"So was I." I couldn't blame him there, this whole marriage thing was enough to make a sane person want to pull their hair out, but no one in our group has ever been considered sane. My heart sped up when we reached our destination, me stepping up beside Haldir and Aragorn joining Andrea. Haldir gives me an impish smile that I return with one of my own, the knot in my stomach slowly dissipating until it was just a couple of butterflies fluttering around.

_This would be easy, after all, we already live together in the Citadel, and this just meant we'd share a name._

Gandalf nods to both of us, going through the same motions he did at Andrea and Aragorn's wedding just a month ago. I catch Haldir's eyes when we're told to turn and face each other, my hands resting in his—brown eyes clashing with blue in a silent challenge of who would blink first. "You may exchange rings," Gandalf instructs. The ring Haldir slides onto my finger is silver with intricate designs cut into it, looking almost Celtic if it were possible. I give him a silver band with a single emerald set in the center, shaped like a leaf. "I now pronounce you man and wife, may your days together be long and filled with joy and laughter."

With a smirk, I grab Haldir's face and pull him in for a kiss, shocking all of the people there with the exception of Andrea.

"Glad to see you're as excited as I am," Haldir murmurs, pulling me tight against him and giving me another, long kiss.

After we're herded into the great hall for our special moment, I lay my head against Haldir's chest as we sway to the song Andrea is singing up on a small stage that had been constructed at her order—the same one I sang on at her and Aragorn's wedding. The song was one I was instantly familiar with: _I Want to Spend my Lifetime loving you _from the Mask of Zorro, one of my favorite movies ever. This day had turned out to be perfect; the weather was warm and sunny, the music was great, and Kharl wasn't being an ass to Leggy, which was always a plus. I couldn't ask for anything better.

"I've got some good news for you," I tell my husband quietly, meeting his gaze again.

"Better news than you being my wife?" He was teasing me and my smile only grew as I took one of his hands and placed it on my stomach.

"Congratulations, you're going to be a daddy."

_Moon so bright, night so fine/Keep your heart here with mine/Life's a dream we are dreaming/Race the moon, catch the wind/Ride the night to the end/Seize the day, stand up for the light_

**(1) "Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world."**


End file.
